Surgical versus conservative treatment of greater trochanteric fractures with occult intertrochanteric fractures: Retrospective cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundGreater trochanter (GT) fractures are rare and frequently associated with occult intertrochanteric (IT) fractures. No consensus has been reached regarding whether surgical or conservative treatment is preferred for such fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of surgical versus conservative treatment for coexistent GT and occult IT fractures. Materials and methodsBetween January 2006 and December 2021, we enrolled patients who were diagnosed with GT fracture on radiography or CT and underwent MRI to reveal occult IT fracture. Eligible patients were divided into two treatment groups: surgical and conservative treatment. The characteristics and outcomes of the patients were compared between the two groups. ResultsFifty patients were included in this study. There were 29 patients (3 male, 26 female; mean age: 84.45 ± 10.68 years) in the surgical treatment group and 21 patients (3 male, 18 female; mean age: 83.33 ± 9.34 years) in the conservative group, respectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the two groups were comparable, including sex, age, body mass index (BMI), percentage of extension into the IT area, days from injury to diagnosis, and activities of daily living (ADL) before injury. All 50 patients healed without displaced fractures, regardless of the percentage of extension into the IT area. There were no significant differences in the modified functional ambulation category scores between the two groups at one week, one month, and three months following the start of the treatment intervention (P = 0.653, 0.923, and 0.577, respectively). The length of hospital stay was 48.4 ± 5.97 days in the surgical treatment group and 50.6 ± 7.55 days in the conservative treatment group (P = 0.422). There was no significant difference in one-year mortality between surgical and conservative treatments (P = 0.219). ConclusionsThere were no significant differences in any outcome between the surgical and nonsurgical treatment groups. The results of the study suggested that coexistent GT and occult IT fractures may be managed conservatively without developing complete fractures, regardless of extension into the IT area.