Objective To compare the effectiveness of biplanar vertical fixation and inverted triangle fixation with hollow screw for Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture in young and middle-aged patients. Methods The clinical data of 55 young and middle-aged patients with Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture between June 2021 and December 2022 was retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with closed reduction and internal fixation with hollow screws, 25 cases were treated with biplanar vertical fixation (study group), 30 cases with inverted triangle fixation (control group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, affected side, cause of injury, underlying diseases, and time from injury to operation between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, guide needle puncture times, starting time of weight bearing, time of full weight bearing, time of fracture healing, and complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. The hip joint function was evaluated by Harris score at 1 day, 6 months, 12 months after operation, and at last follow-up, and the pain relief was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score. The femoral neck shortening was measured on the X-ray film at last follow-up. Results All patients were followed up 12-31 months (mean, 22.0 months), and there was no significant difference in follow-up time between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and fluoroscopy times in the study group were higher than those in the control group, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The guide needle puncture times in the study group was more than that in the control group, and the time of starting weight bearing and the time of full weight bearing in the study group were shorter than those in the control group, the differences were significant (P<0.05). Bony healing was achieved in both groups, and there was no significant difference in fracture healing time between the two groups (P>0.05). No osteonecrosis of the femoral head and incision-related complication was found in the two groups during follow-up, and the femoral neck shortening length in the study group was significantly shorter than that in the control group at last follow-up (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Harris score between the two groups at 1 day after operation (P>0.05), and the Harris score of the study group was significantly better than that of the control group at other time points (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in VAS score between the two groups at each time point after operation (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with the inverted triangle fixation, the treatment of Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture with biplanar vertical fixation can effectively reduce femoral neck shortening without affecting fracture healing, and improve hip joint function in early stage.
ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of the femoral neck system (FNS) and inverted triangle cannulated screws (ITCS) for the treatment of Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fractures.MethodsThe clinical data of 59 patients with Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fractures treated between May 2019 and November 2020 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into FNS group (28 cases) and ITCS group (31 cases) according to the different internal fixation. There was no significant difference in gender, age, affected side, body mass index, cause of injury, smoking history, alcohol abuse history, Pauwels angle, Garden classification, AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification, and time from injury to operation between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, extra assisted reduction procedures (Kirschner wire prying reduction or open reduction), hospitalization stay, and early complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. Garden index and Haidukewych score were used to evaluate fracture reduction. Fracture healing time, lateral thigh irritation, time of partial or total weight-bearing postoperatively, shortening length and degree of femoral neck, change of caput-collum-diaphysis (CCD) angle (the difference of CCD angle between immediate after operation and last follow-up), incidence of osteonecrosis of femoral head and revision surgery were recorded and compared between the two groups. Hip joint function were evaluated by Harris score.ResultsThe operation time of FNS group was significantly shorter than ITCS group, and the incision length was significantly longer than ITCS group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, assisted reduction, Garden index, Haidukewych score, and hospitalization stay between the two groups (P>0.05). All the incisions healed by first intention. There were 2 deep vein thrombosis in the FNS group and 1 pulmonary infection and 1 deep vein thrombosis in the ITCS group. No significant difference was found in the incidence of early postoperative complications (7.1% vs. 6.5%) between the two groups (P=1.000). Patients in both groups were followed up 3-14 months, and there was no significant difference in follow-up time between the two groups (t=–0.553, P=0.582). The fracture healing time, Harris score, and the partial weight-bearing time after operation of the FNS group were significantly better than those of the ITCS group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in total weight-bearing time between the two groups (Z=–1.298, P=0.194). No lateral thigh irritation was found in the FNS group, while 10 patients in the ITCS group had lateral thigh irritation, and the incidence between the two groups (0 vs. 32.3%) was significant (P=0.001). At last follow-up, the shortening length and degree of femoral neck and the change of CCD angle in FNS group were significantly less than those in ITCS group (P<0.05). There was no patient with osteonecrosis of femoral head or reoperation in the FNS group, while 4 patients in the ITCS group underwent reoperation (including 2 cases of osteonecrosis of the femoral head). However, the incidences (0 vs. 6.5%; 0 vs. 12.9%) between the two groups were not significant (P=0.493; P=0.114).ConclusionUsing FNS to treat Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture is simple as well as able to reduce the shortening of the femoral neck and the change of the CCD angle. Also, FNS is conducive to the recovery of hip joint function, which should be considered as a new choice for the treatment of young femoral neck fracture patients.