Evaluation of the Outcomes of Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation II in the Treatment of Trochanteric Fracture in Elderly Patients.

Abstract

BackgroundIntertrochanteric fractures are common injuries among the elderly population and those with osteoporosis. The study was conducted in order to evaluate the outcome of Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation II (PFN-A2) in the treatment of these fractures in elderly patients.MethodsTwenty-five elderly patients (range 60 to 73 years) with trochanteric fractures who were treated with PFN-A2 at Government Medical College Amritsar were included in this prospective observational study. These patients were followed up regularly until six months post-operatively. The functional and radiological evaluations were done at six, 12, 16, and 20 weeks. The functional outcome was evaluated using the Harris Hip Score (HHS).ResultsThe mean age incidence for trochanteric fractures was 64 years. There were no cases of intra-operative and postoperative femoral fractures. The mean operating time was 85.6 minutes. Radiological union was seen in all of the 25 patients. The mean time for fracture union time in our study was 13.8 weeks. The average Harris Hip Score in our study was calculated at three months as 74.3 and at six months as 85.08. The p-value was highly significant (0.001) for this improved outcome. This study found PFN-A2 related secondary varus deformities in 8.0% of the patients (two patients). Only one patient (4%) developed surgical site infection (SSI).ConclusionPFN-A2 provides adequate functional results in terms of fixation and healing. This can be further enhanced by good pre-operative planning, correct technique of entry point, and meticulous placement of implant with a helical blade in both anteroposterior (AP), lateral view, and distal locking and non-acceptance of reduction in varus. A good reduction is required to achieve a good functional outcome. We conclude that the PFN-A2 has the benefit of closed reduction, short operative time, preservation of biology, less soft tissue damage, and early rehab.