S1064 DISPLACED FEMORAL NECK FRACTURES – INDICATIONS FOR PRIMARY TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT

Abstract

Fracture healing complications and reoperations after internal fixation (IF) of displaced femoral neck fractures are common in spite of an improved surgical technique. The complication rate in prospective studies with a two-year follow-up is 35–50%. The long-term outcome after a unipolar hip arthroplasty seems to be suboptimal for active patients and the outcome after a bipolar arthroplasty is insufficiently reported.

In a prospective study the fracture healing complications rate at two years in patients with displaced femoral neck fractures treated with IF was 36% compared with 7% in patients with undisplaced fractures. The quality of life (EQ-5D) of patients with uneventfully healed fractures at two years was lower in patients with primary displaced fractures than in patients with primary undisplaced fractures.

In a prospective randomised trial, patients with displaced femoral neck fractures were randomised to IF or total hip replacement (THR). IF resulted in more complications than THR, 36% versus 4%, and necessitated more reoperations, 42% versus 4%. Hip function and quality of life (EQ-5D) were generally better in the THR group.

The future treatment algorithms for elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures would benefit from being patient-related rather than diagnosisrelated. For an elderly, relatively healthy, lucid patient with a displaced femoral neck fracture THR yielded a better outcome than IF. The indications for unipolar- and bipolar arthroplasties need to be further evaluated in randomised trials with sufficient follow-up time.