Abstract
Introduction: Bone fragility is a result of the reduction in bone mineral density and mass. This reduction directly reduces the effectiveness of trabecular cross bracing. The problem of femoral neck fractures after hip resurfacing surgery is directly related to the mechanical load on the osteoporotic bone.
Aim: To determine any correlation between the degree of osteoporous and subsequent femoral neck fractures.
Methods: A comparison was made between both femoral necks in the same patient, to determine the degree of osteoporosis prior to surgery. These results were then compared with subsequent changes in osteoporosis 12 months post-operatively.
Bone mineral density values, were used to compare the non-operative femoral neck to the operative femoral neck before surgery. These values were then used as a predictive risk of subsequent femoral neck fracture in this patient group. Bone mineral density assessments were repeated 12 months after the surgery to compare the subsequent changes in the osteoporotic values. The bone mineral density evaluations were carried out on one hundred patients, both male and female between the ages of 28 and 87 years. The criterion for entry into this group was a bone mineral density value of no lower than 1.5 standard deviation points below the young reference value.
Results: We found an improvement in the bone mineral density values for each patient, therefore reducing the risks of subsequent femoral neck fracture.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor A. J. Thurston. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Department of Surgery, Wellington School of Medicine, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand
