Objective To investigate the validity of improving the femur’s mechanical characteristics by implanting calcium phosphate ceramic screws after removing dynamic hip screw (DHS). Methods The three dimensional finite element model of the femur was built based on the CT scanning of a normal male volunteer. Then the models of the femur with and without DHS were established. According to calcium phosphate ceramic screws with porosity and apparent elastic modulus, 80% and 0.1 GPa were set as group A, 50% and 1.0 GPa as group B, and 30% and 1.5 GPa as group C. Von Mises stress distribution and maximum stress were recorded when the joint was maximally loaded in a gait cycle. Results The Von Mises in normal femoral shaft was uniform; no phenomena of stress concentration was observed and the maximum stress located at the joint load-bearing site of the proximal femur. The stress concentration was observed in the femur without DHS, and the maximum stress located at the distal femur around the screw hole. By comparing several different calcium phosphate ceramic screws, the stress distribution of group B was similar to normal femur model, and the maximum stress located at the joint load-bearing site. The other screws of groups A and C showed varying degrees of stress concentration. Conclusion Implanting calcium phosphate ceramic screw can improve the mechanical characteristics of the femur after removing dynamic hip screw, and the calcium phosphate ceramic screw with 50% porosity and 1.0 GPa apparent elastic modulus is suitable for implanting.
Objective To investigate the treatment method of senile patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures and its cl inical outcomes. Methods From January 2005 to December 2007, 192 senile patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures were treated, including 85 males and 107 females aged 65-92 years old (average 75 years old). The injury was causedby fall on walking in 106 cases, fall when riding a bicycle in 55 cases, and traffic accidents in 31 cases. According to Evans classification, there were 12 cases of type I A, 43 cases of type I B, 29 cases of type II, 24 cases of type III A, 23 cases of type III B, 26 cases of type IV, and 35 cases of type V. One hundred and fifty patients were associated with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, 120 patients were compl icated with chronicle hypertension, 90 cases were associated with bronchitis, and 75 cases were compl icated with diabetes. The time from injury to hospital admission was 1 hour to 14 days. Among those patients, 108 were treated with conservative treatment, 68 received dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation, and 16 underwent proximal femoral Gamma nail fixation. Results All the patients were followed up for 12-36 months (average 18 months). The fracture all reached bone union without occurrence of nonunion and delayed union. Patients could take care of themselves, and there were no occurrences of serious pains and dysfunctions. The therapeutic effect was satisfactory. The conservative treatment group: the average hospital stay length was 48 days; the average bone heal ing time was 14 weeks; 23 cases had different degrees of coxa adducta; Harris score system was adopted to evaluate hip joint function, 45 cases were graded as excellent, 31 as good, 10 as fair, and 22 as poor, and the excellent and good rate was 70.4%. DHS internal fixation group: the average operation time was 60 minutes; the average bleeding volume during operation was 200 mL, the average hospital stay length was 24 days; the average bone heal ing time after operation was 12 weeks; Harris score system was adopted to evaluate the injured hip joint function, 38 cases were graded as excellent, 21 as good, 8 as fair, and 1 as poor, and the excellent and good rate was 86.8%. Gamma nailfixation group: the average operation time was 70 minutes; the average bleeding volume during operation was 200 mL, the average hospital stay length was 14 days; the average bone heal ing time after operation was 12 weeks; Harris score system was adopted to evaluate the injured hip joint function, 11 cases were graded as excellent, 4 as good, 1 as fair, and the excellent and good rate was 93.8%. Conclusion For geriatric femoral intertrochanteric fractures, operative treatment should be performed, the preoperative preparation should be sufficient, and individual-oriented treatment method should be selected on the basis of physical conditions of patients and the types of fractures.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of InterTan in the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fractures. Methods Between April 2009 and July 2009, 57 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fracture were treated with InterTan. There were 33 males and 24 females with an average age of 68 years (range, 45-88 years). The locations were left side in 31 cases and right side in 26 cases and all fractures were closed fractures. According to Association for Osteosynthesis/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification, there were 23 cases of type 31-A1, 27 of type 31-A2, and 7 of type 31-A3. The disease duration was 2 to 8 days with an average of 3.3 days. The data of operative time, blood loss, perioperative blood transfusion, hospital ization day, fracture heal ing time, and Harris hip score were recorded. Results The operative time and the blood loss were (74.5 ± 19.7) minutes and (148.8 ± 79.6) mL, respectively. There were significant differences in the operative time and the blood loss among the AO/OTA subgroups (P lt; 0.05). Twenty-five patients required a blood transfusion and the transfusion volume was (264.0 ± 90.7) mL. The average hospital ization days were 7 days (range, 6-9 days). Thirty-five patients were followed up 12 to 15 months (13.3 months on average). X-ray films showed that all fractures healed within (2.8 ± 0.8) months. The heal ing time of fracture was (2.4 ± 0.6), (2.9 ± 0.9), and (3.8 ± 0.5) months in 31-A1 subgroup, 31-A2 subgroup, and 31-A3 subgroup, respectively. There was no significant difference in heal ing time of fracture between 31-A1 subgroup and 31-A2 subgroup (P gt; 0.05), and there were significant differences between 31-A3 group and 31-A1 subgroup, 31-A2 subgroup (P lt; 0.05). No shortening, cut-out, varus malposition, femoral shaft fracture, or implant failures was found. The Harris score at the final follow-up was 84.5 ± 8.2 with an excellent and good rate of 80% (15 cases of excellent, 13 of good, 6 of fair, and 1 of poor). Twenty patients (57%) recovered the walking abil ity. Conclusion The new intertrochanteric antegrade nail of InterTan can be used to treat femoral intertrochanteric fractures with good cl inical outcomes, high union rate, and less compl ications.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress on the evaluation methods of head-neck nail positions in femoral intertrochanteric fractures. Methods The literature about the evaluation methods of head-neck nail positions for femoral intertrochanteric fractures in recent years was extensively reviewed, and research progress in the aspects of evaluation methods, clinical applications, and limitations were summarized. ResultsThe position of head-neck nails in femoral intertrochanteric fractures is closely related to postoperative complications of head-neck nail cutting. Currently, the tip-apex distance (TAD) and femoral head zoning are widely used to evaluate the position of head-neck nails. The main opinion in the literature is that the use of TAD and femoral head zoning can effectively reduce the incidence of head-neck nails cutting. Parker’s ratio, as one of the evaluation methods, has been controversial in subsequent studies and has not been widely used in clinical practice. The TAD as referenced to the calcar (CalTAD), which was modified based on TAD, has been gradually accepted by the clinic, but whether it is better than the TAD has not yet been conclusively determined. In recent years, new evaluation methods have been proposed to supplement the previous evaluation methods, such as the tip-neck distance ratio (TNDR) and the standardized TAD (STAD) to avoid the limitations of the TAD and the CalTAD by the volume of the femoral head, and the axis-blade angle (ABA) to supplement the direction of the head-neck nails channel, but at present the clinical application is relatively underutilized, and the validity of the method needs to be further verified. ConclusionCurrently, there are many methods for evaluating the position of head-neck nails in femoral intertrochanteric fractures, TAD<25 mm combined with head-neck nails placed in the middle-middle quadrant or lower-middle quadrant of the femoral head division is currently a highly recognized assessment in the literature, but the optimal assessment is still controversial, and further research needs to be studied.
ObjectiveTo compare the clinical effect of proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) and locking proximal femoral plate (LPFP) for femoral intertrochanteric fracture in elderly patients. MethodsWe respectively analyzed the clinical data of 116 senile patients with femoral intertrochanteric fracture treated between October 2008 and March 2014. Among them, 60 were treated with PFNA, and 56 were treated with LPFP. We compared the two groups of patients in terms of operating time, surgical blood loss, surgical complications, walking exercise time, fracture healing time and joint function recovery. ResultsA total of 115 patients had regular follow-up from 12 to 24 months (averaging 15.7 months). One patient died. The operating time was (83.26±14.81) minutes in PFNA group and (102.58±15.31) minutes in LPFP group. The surgical blood loss was (202.16±33.14) mL in PFNA group and (255.80±45.92) mL in LPFP group. The walking exercise time was (1.80±0.91) weeks in PFNA group and (3.48±3.03) weeks in LPFP group. The fracture healing time was (11.80±2.26) weeks in PFNA group and (12.14±2.21) weeks in LPFP group. The postoperative Harris score for hip joint was 84.56±9.55 in PFNA group and 82.47±9.22 in LPFP group. There were statistical differences in operating time, surgical blood loss and walking exercise time (P<0.05), while no statistical differences were found in fracture healing time and postoperative Harris score for hip joint (P>0.05). ConclusionPFNA and LPFP are effective methods for femoral intertrochanteric fracture in elderly people, but PFNA has a shorter operating time, less surgical blood loss and earlier walking exercise time.
ObjectiveTo analyze the reasons and the influence of internal fixation about the guide pin eccentricity of helical blade during proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA) internal fixation for femoral intertrochanteric fractures.MethodsA retrospective analysis of the intraoperative imaging data of 175 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures, who underwent closed reduction and PFNA internal fixation between January 2018 and January 2020, was performed. There were 76 males and 99 females with an average age of 79.8 years (mean, 61-103 years). The internal between admission and operation was 12-141 hours (median, 32 hours). According to AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification, the fractures were rated as type 31-A1 in 64 cases and type 31-A2 in 111 cases. In the intraoperative fluoroscopy image by C-arm X-ray machine, the caputcollum-diaphysis (CCD) was measured after closed reduction and internal fixation, respectively; the angles between the center line of the head nail hole and the axis of proximal nail and between the axis of guide pin and proximal nail were measured, and the difference between the two angles was evaluated; the quality of fracture reduction was evaluated according to the alignment of the medial cortex, anterior cortex of the head and neck bone block, and femoral shaft cortex; the position of the helical blade in the femoral head was evaluated according to the Cleveland method.ResultsThe CCDs of proximal femur were (134.6±6.8)° after closed reduction and (134.9±4.3)° after internal fixation. There was no significant difference between pre- and post-internal fixation (t=0.432, P=0.766). The angles between the center line of the head nail hole and the axis of proximal nail and between the axis of guide pin and proximal nail were (125.4±2.44)° and (126.3±2.3)°, respectively, showing significant difference (t=2.809, P=0.044). The difference between the two angles was (0.8±2.2)°. The guide pin eccentricity of helical blade occurred in 47 cases. After tapping the helical blade along the eccentric guide pin, 10 cases had fracture reduction loss, and 5 cases had a poor position of the helical blade in the femoral head. ConclusionDuring PFNA internal fixation, a variety of reasons can lead to the eccentric position of the guide pin of helical blade, including unstable fracture, soft tissue inserted, severe osteoporosis, mismatched tool, and fluoroscopic imaging factors. It is possible that the fracture end would be displaced again and the helical blade position may be poor when knocking into the helical blade along the eccentric guide pin. During operation, it should be judged whether the direction of the guide pin needs to be adjusted according to the eccentric angle.
ObjectiveTo design a new type of short femoral intertrochanteric nail (FITN) with anterior curvature (19.5 cm in length and 120 cm in radius) and observe the geometric match with medullary cavity of the femur. MethodsBetween November 2015 and June 2016, 25 geriatric patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures were treated with the newly designed FITN. There were 7 males and 18 females with an average age of 82.3 years (range, 65-94 years). According to AO/OTA fracture classification, 3 cases were rated as A1.2, 2 cases as A1.3, 5 cases as A2.1, 8 cases as A2.2, and 7 cases as A2.3. The interval between injury and operation was 3.2 days (range, 2-7 days). Postoperatively, the nail entry point position (anterior, central, and posterior) on sagittal plane, the nail tip position (6-grade scale) and the nail tail level (3-grade scale) were measured using fluoroscopy and X-ray films to evaluate the geometric match of the nail with medullary cavity of the femur. ResultsOne patient with Parkinson disease died of asphyxia and pulmonary infection. The other 24 patients were followed up 1-8 months (mean, 4 months). Fracture union time was 6-10 weeks (mean, 8 weeks). The mean Parker-Palmer mobility score was 5.5 (range, 4-8). No patient had hip-thigh pain. The nail entry point was positioned anterior in 2 cases (8%), central in 18 cases (72%), and posterior in 5 cases (20%). The distal nail tip located at the central canal axis (grade 0) in 15 cases (60%), at anterior without contact with the anterior inner cortex (grade 1) in 8 cases (32%), at posterior (grade -1) in 1 case (4%), and at anterior with slight nail-tip impingement with the anterior cortex (grade 2) in 1 case (4%). The proximal nail tail level did not protrude out beyond the greater trochanter (grade 0) in 13 cases (52%), protruded out less than 5 mm (grade 1) in 9 cases (36%), and more than 5 mm (grade 2) in 3 cases (12%). ConclusionThe newly designed FITN has a good geometric match with the femur medullary canal in Chinese population, which may reduce the nail related complications.
Objective To summarize the morphological characteristics of sagittal beak-like deformity of head-neck fragment in femoral intertrochanteric fractures and to investigate the technical skills in fracture reduction. Methods A clinical data of 31 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures between May 2021 and April 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. The fractures had sagittal beak-like deformity of head-neck fragment in all patients. There were 13 males and 18 females, with an average age of 76.2 years (range, 68-83 years). The time from injury to operation was 36-76 hours (mean, 51.2 hours). Fractures were classified as type A1.2 in 10 cases, type A1.3 in 11 cases, type A2.2 in 6 cases, and type A2.3 in 4 cases according to the AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA)-2018 classification; and as type A1.3 in 10 cases, type A2.1 in 11 cases, type A2.2 in 6 cases, type A2.3 in 2 cases, and type A2.4 in 2 cases according to a novel comprehensive classification for femoral intertrochanteric fractures proposed by the “Elderly Hip Fracture” Research Group of the Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association. Based on preoperative X-ray films, CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction, the fractures were classified into two types: type 1 (14 cases), with uncomplicated fracture morphology, severe bone interlocking and (or) soft tissue incarceration; type 2 (17 cases), with severe fracture crushing, obvious dissociation between bone blocks, and severe soft tissue hinge destruction. After the failure of the closed reduction, all patients underwent fracture reduction assisted with instrument via anterior minimal incision and proximal femoral nail antirotation nails internal fixation. The operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy, intraoperative visible blood loss, length of hospital stay, and incidence of complications were recorded. The fracture reduction quality and stability score were assessed at immediate after operation under fluoroscopy. The fracture healing was evaluated and healing time was recorded by X-ray films. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score was performed at 48 hours after operation and Parker-Palmer activity score at 3 months after operation for function evaluation. ResultsThe operation time was 39-58 minutes (mean, 46.3 minutes); fluoroscopy was performed 13-38 times (mean, 23.5 times) during operation; the intraoperative visible blood loss was 45-90 mL (mean, 65.3 mL). The fracture reduction quality and stability score were rated as good in 29 cases and acceptable in 2 cases. The pain VAS score was 2-6 (mean, 3.1) at 48 hours after operation. Eleven patients developed deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs after operation. Patients were hospitalized for 6-10 days (mean, 7.3 days). All patients were followed up 5-8 months (mean, 6.5 months). All fractures healed at 3.5-8.0 months after operation (mean, 4.5 months). Parker-Palmer activity score at 3 months after operation was 9 in 28 cases and 6 in 3 cases. Conclusion The femoral intertrochanteric fracture with sagittal beak-like deformity of head-neck fragment is difficult to manually reduce. The pin combined with cannulated screw insertion to the neck cortex can hold the fragment and assist fracture reduction, which is a simple and effective technique.
ObjectiveTo investigate the method to measure the tip-apex distance (TAD) in treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture with proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA). MethodsBetween March 2008 and March 2011, 35 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fracture underwent closed reduction and internal fixation with PFNA, which were all closed fractures. There were 14 males and 21 females with an average age of 72.3 years (range, 48-88 years). According to Evans classification, 1 case belonged to type III, 27 cases to type IV, and 7 cases to type V. The time between injury and operation was 2-7 days (mean, 4.3 days). The TAD was measured according to relationship between tip of helical blade and the center point of femoral head radius during operation, and according to X-ray films after operation. ResultsPrimary healing of incision was obtained in all cases, and no infection or deep venous thrombosis occurred. At 2 days after operation, the X-ray films showed TAD was 18-24 mm (mean, 22.6 mm). Thirty-two cases were followed up 10-22 months (mean, 16 months). All fractures healed, with a mean healing time of 7.6 months (range, 6-10 months). The patients could walk without stick at 11-16 weeks (mean, 13 weeks). Pulmonary infection occurred in 1 case at 5 days after operation; no breakage of femoral nail or cut-out helical blade from femoral head was observed. At 10 months after operation, the Parker hip scores were 9 in 23 cases, 8 in 4 cases, 7 in 3 cases, and 5 in 2 cases, with a mean score of 8.44. ConclusionIt is easy to control the TAD in treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture with PFNA with an simple method and important to prevent breakage and cut-out helical blade from the femoral head.
ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA) between in the supine "scissors" position and in the lithotomy position for treating femoral intertrochanteric fractures of old patients. MethodsA retrospective study was performed on 58 patients with femoral intertrochanteric fractures treated with PFNA between January 2013 and January 2015. Fracture was treated with PFNA in the lithotomy position in 28 cases (group A) and in the supine "scissors" position in 30 cases (group B). There was no significant difference in gender, age, side, cause of injury, fracture type, and interval from injury to operation between 2 groups (P>0.05). The incision length, operation time, perspective times, intraoperative blood loss, complications, and fracture healing time were recorded; Harris hip score was used to access the effectiveness. ResultsThe wound healed by first intention without infection, pressure sores, deep vein thrombosis of lower extremity, and other complications. There was no significant difference in incision length between 2 groups (t=1.313, P=0.212). Group B was significantly better than group A in operation time, perspective times, and intraoperative blood loss (P<0.05). All patients were followed up 10-31 months (mean, 15.3 months). Stretch injury at normal side and perineal discomfort occurred in 1 case and 5 cases of group A respectively, and no nonunion and other complications was observed in the other patients. There was no significant difference in fracture healing time and Harris hip score at last follow-up between 2 groups (P>0.05). ConclusionPFNA in the supine "scissors" position has exact effectiveness and advantages of shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, less perspective times, and fewer complications.