A comparative effectiveness research on operative methods of femoral neck fractures in the elderly

Abstract

Objective To compare the effect of compression hollow screw fixation,artificial femoral head replacement and total hip replacement in the elderly.Methods From August 2007 to April 2009,152 cases of femoral neck fracture in the elderly were divided into three groups: compression hollow screw fixation group(54 patients,24 males,with an average age of 59.8±5.3 years);artificial femoral head replacement group(48 patients,16 males,with an average age of 65.3±6.7 years);and total hip replacement group(50 patients,18 males,with an average age of 77.3±6.5 years).The evaluation indicators,including the average sugical time,the average amount of bleeding,the average length of stay and the average postopererative bed time,were compared respectively among the three groups.The postoperative evaluation was made according to Harris Score.Results Harris score in the three groups were 21 excellent and 23 good in the compression hollow screw fixation group,with an average score of 80.52±2.70;26 excellent and 14 good in the artificial femoral head replacement group,with an average score of 86.57±1.90;and 42 excellent and 3 good in the total hip replacement group,with an average score of 96.04±2.10.The total hip replacement group was significantly better than the other two groups(H=0.589,F=12.151,Ps＜0.05).The rate of postoperative complications were 25.93%(14/54) in the compression hollow screw fixation group,18.75%(9/48) in the artificial femoral head replacement group and 4.00%(2/50) in the total hip replacement group(H=1.291,P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared among the three surgery,total hip replacement could resume function and improve the quality of life better,with lower rate of complications.However,the surgical injury and the amount of bleeding were largest.Therefore,we suggest selecting appropriate surgery with considering the patient′s age,physical condition,displacement degree of the fracture,et al.in old femoral neck fractures patients. Key words: Femoral neck fracture; Elderl; Compression hollow screw fixation; Artificial femoral head replacement; Total hip replacement