Biplane double supported screw fixation for femoral neck fracture in young adults: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

IntroductionAchieving accurate anatomic reduction and stable internal fixation is mandatory in the management of femoral neck fractures (FNF) in adults. The spatial configuration and direction of the screws have been reported to provide stability to the fracture. The study's goal is to analyse the clinico-radiological outcome of the newer biplane double-supported screw fixation (BDSF) technique in the Indian cohort. Materials and methodsPatients with isolated FNFs underwent osteo-synthesis by BDSF technique. Radiological outcome was evaluated by time to union and fracture healing on plain radiographs. Clinical outcome was measured using the Harris hip score (HHS) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The pain reduction was measured using the VAS score. ResultsTwenty-seven patients with a mean age of 37.33 ± 9.84 years (24–55 years) were followed up for at least 12 months (12–31 months). The mean HHS at 12 months was 94.81 ± 8.18 (range: 68–100). Twenty-five patients were able to achieve radiological union within a mean time of 14.60 ± 4.69 weeks (range: 8–28). The overall complication rate was found to be 18.51% (5 out of 27 patients). Individual complications were non-union (2 patients; 7.4%), AVN (3 patients; 11.11%), and screw back out with femoral neck shortening (4 patients; 14.81%). ConclusionScrew configuration using the BDSF technique provides a good union rate with minimum complications. The majority of patients resulted in a good (HHS >80) to excellent functional outcome. Based on the clinico-radiological outcome obtained, we conclude that this technique is effective in the fixation of FNF in adults. Level of studyLevel II.