ObjectiveTo summarize the patterns and research progress of the concomitant ipsilateral fractures of intracapsular femoral neck and extracapsular trochanter, and to provide a common language among orthopedic surgeons for scientific exchange.MethodsAccording to related literature and authors own experiences concerning the anatomic border between femoral neck and trochanter region, the intertrochanteric line (or intertrochanteric belt) and its capsularligament attachment footprint, fracture patterns, and treatment strategies were reviewed and analyzed.ResultsWith the rapid growing of geriatric hip fractures, an increased incidence was noted in recent years regarding the proximal femoral comminuted fractures that involving ipsilateral intracapsular neck and extracapsular trochanter regions simultaneously. But the concept of femoral neck combined with trochanter fractures was ambiguous. Based on the anatomic type of femoral neck fracture, the location of fracture center, and the ability to achieve direct inferior calcar or anteromedial cortex-to-cortex apposition and buttress, we classified these complex fractures into 3 sub-types: ① Segmental femoral neck fractures (two separate fracture centers at subcapital and trochanteric region respectively); ② Femoral neck fracture (trans-cervical) with extension to the supero-lateral trochanteric region (fracture center in femoral neck); ③ Trochanteric fracture with extension to the medio-inferior femoral neck region (fracture center in trochanter, comminuted basicervical fracture, or variant type of comminuted trochanter fracture). For treatment strategy, surgeons should consider the unique characteristics of femoral neck and trochanter, usually with combined fixation techniques, or arthroplasty supplemented with fixation.ConclusionCurrently there is no consensus on diagnosis and terminology regarding the concomitant ipsilateral fractures of femoral neck and trochanter. Further studies are needed.
Objective To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of maintaining the reduction of unstable intertrochanteric fractures by Kirschner wire-fixation-cortical bone technique. Methods Forty patients with intertrochanteric fracture [AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) type 31-A2.2] admitted between May 2015 and January 2017 and requiring closed reduction and proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) were randomly divided into trial group (intraoperative Kirschner wire-fixation-cortical bone technique group, 20 cases) and control group (conventional treatment group, 20 cases). There was no significant difference in general data of gender, age, side, body mass index, cause of injury, time from injury to operation between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative fluoroscopy times of the two groups were recorded; the reduction quality of fracture was observed according to the corresponding relationship between medial and anterior cortex (positive, neutral, and negative support) of intraoperative fluoroscopy proposed by ZHANG Shimin, and the stability of internal fixation and fracture healing were observed; Harris score was used to evaluate the recovery of hip function at 12 months after operation. Results In the trial group, 6 cases (30%) had 2 Kirschner wires implanted less than 4 times, 7 cases (35%) had 5-8 times, and 7 cases (35%) had 9 times or more. There was no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between the two groups (P>0.05), but the blood transfusion volume and intraoperative fluoroscopy times in the trial group were significantly less than those in the control group (P<0.05). Both groups were followed up 13-21 months, with an average of 17 months. There was no complications such as wound infection, deep venous thrombosis of lower extremities, refracture, and internal fixation-related complications. The quality of intraoperative reduction in the trial group was significantly better than that in the control group (Z=–2.794, P=0.024). The Harris score of the trial group was significantly better than that of the control group at 12 months after operation (t=2.98, P=0.01). Conclusion The use of Kirschner wire-fixation-cortical bone technique during intertrochanteric fracture closed reduction and PFNA internal fixation surgery can effectively maintain the reduction effect, reduce the number of fluoroscopy, improve the reduction quality, reduce allogeneic blood input, obtain better hip function, and do not increase the operation time and intraoperative blood loss.
Objective To introduce a novel comprehensive classification for femoral intertrochanteric fractures, and to accommodate the clinical requirement for the world-wide outbreak of geriatric hip fractures and surgical operations. Methods On the basis of reviewing the history of classification of femoral intertrochanteric fractures and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification in different periods, combined with the current situation of extensive preoperative CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction and widespread use of intramedullary nail fixation in China, the “Elderly Hip Fracture” Research Group of the Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery Committee of the Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association proposed a novel comprehensive classification for femoral intertrochanteric fractures, focusing on the structure of fracture stability reconstruction during internal fixation. Results The novel comprehensive classification of femoral intertrochanteric fractures incorporates multiple indicators of fracture classification, including the orientation of the fracture line, the degree of fracture fragmentation, the lesser trochanteric bone fragment and its distal extension length (>2 cm), the posterior coronal bone fragment and its anterior extension width (involving the lateral cortex of the head and neck implant entry point), transverse fracture of the lateral and anterior wall and its relationship with the implant entry point in the head and neck, and whether the cortex of the anteromedial inferior corner can be directly reduced to contact, etc. The femoral intertrochanteric fractures are divided into 4 types (type A1 is simple two-part fractures, type A2 is characterized by lesser trochanter fragment and posterior coronal fractures, type A3 is reverse obliquity and transverse fractures, type A4 is medial comminution which lacks anteromedial cortex transmission of compression force), each of which is subdivided into 4 subtypes and further subdivide into finer subgroups. In a review of 550 trochanteric hip fracture cases by three-dimensional CT, type A1 accounted for 20.0%, type A2 for 62.5%, type A3 for 15.5%, and type A4 for 2.0%, respectively. For subtypes, A2.2 is with a “banana-like” posterior coronal fragment, A2.4 is with distal cortex extension >2 cm of the lesser trochanter and anterior cortical expansion of the posterior coronal fragment to the entry portal of head-neck implants, A3.4 is a primary pantrochanteric fracture, and A4.4 is a concomitant ipsilateral segmental fracture of the neck and trochanter region. ConclusionThe novel comprehensive classification of femoral intertrochanteric fractures can describe the morphological characteristics of fractures in more detail, include more rare and complex types, provide more personalized subtype selection, and adapt to the clinical needs of both fractures and surgeries.
Objective To compare the effectiveness of three surgical methods in the treatment of Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture in young and middle-aged patients, in order to provide reference for clinical selection of appropriate surgical methods. Methods The clinical data of 103 patients with Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture who met the selection criteria between June 2018 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The fractures were fixed with hollow screws in an inverted triangular shape (37 cases, hollow screw group), hollow screws in an inverted triangular shape combined with eccentric shaft screw (34 cases, eccentric shaft screw group), and hollow screws in an inverted triangular shape combined with medial support plate (32 cases, support plate group). There was no significant difference in age, gender, cause of injury, body mass index, time from injury to operation, side of the fracture, and Garden classification, whether they were in traction preoperatively, and other baseline data between groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the number of fluoroscopy, the length of hospital stay, early postoperative complication and postoperative weight-bearing time of the three groups were recorded. Harris score was used to evaluate joint function at 6 and 12 months after operation, and the difference between the two time points (change value) was calculated for comparison between groups. X-ray films were reviewed to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction (Garden index) and healing, as well as the occurrence of internal fixation failure and femoral head necrosis. Results The patients of the three groups were successfully completed. Compared with the hollow screw group and the eccentric shaft screw group, the operation time and intraoperative blood loss of the support plate group significantly increased, the number of fluoroscopy reduced, and the quality of fracture reduction was better, the differences were significant (P<0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and the number of fluoroscopy of the hollow screw group were less than those of the eccentric shaft screw group, the differences were significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between groups (P>0.05). All patients in the three groups were followed up 21-52 months, with an average follow-up time of 36.0 months, and there was no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). The incisions of all patients healed by first intention. Imaging reexamination showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of fracture nonunion between groups (P>0.05). The fracture healing, partial weight-bearing, and full weight-bearing were significantly earlier in the eccentric shaft screw group and the support plate group than in the hollow screw group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in change value of Harris score, the incidence of postoperative deep venous thrombosis and femoral head necrosis between groups (P>0.05); however, the incidence of internal fixation failure in the support plate group and the eccentric shaft screw group was significantly lower than that in the hollow screw group (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative lateral thigh irritation in the support plate group was significantly lower than that in the hollow screw group (P<0.05); there was no significant difference between the eccentric shaft screw group and the other two groups (P>0.05). The overall incidences of postoperative complications in the eccentric shaft screw group and the support plate group were significantly lower than that in the hollow screw group (P<0.05). Conclusion For young and middle-aged patients with Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fracture, compared with simple hollow screw fixation in an inverted triangular shape, combined with medial support plate or eccentric shaft screw internal fixation can shorten the fracture healing time, reduce the incidences of postoperative complication, more conducive to early functional exercise of the affected limb; at the same time, the operation time and blood loss of combined eccentric shaft screw internal fixation are less than those of combined medial support plate internal fixation, so the hollow screw in an inverted triangular shape combined with eccentric shaft screw fixation may be a better choice.
Objective To review and summarize the projections of radiographic images during cephalomedullary nailing fixation for intertrochanteric femoral fractures, and to propose a set of three projections as standard requirement in immediate postoperative fluoroscopy. MethodsPapers on intertrochanteric femoral fractures treated with cephalomedullary nailing fixation that published in a three-year period of 2021—2023 in four leading English orthopedic trauma journals were searched in PubMed. The presented radiographic pictures were identified and scrutinized as whether they were in standard anteroposterior and/or lateral projections of the implanted nails. The nonstandard presence percentage was calculated. Combined with clinical experience, the standard anteroposterior and lateral perspective images of femoral neck, the current situation of radiographic imaging in the operation of cephalomedullary nails, the literature analysis of nonstandard images, the impact of limb rotation on image interpretation, and the characteristics of anteromedial 30° oblique perspective were summarized and analyzed. Results The presence of nonstandard radiographic pictures is 32.1% in anteroposterior view and 69.2% in lateral view in leading orthopedic trauma journals. In cephalomedullary nailing fixation operation of intertrochanteric femoral fractures, it is reasonable to use the radiographic images of the implanted nails to represent the fractured head-neck, as the head-neck implant (lag screw or helical blade) is aimed to put into centrally in femoral head in lateral projection. Limb rotation or nonstandard projections produced distortion of images, which interfers the surgeons’ judgement of fracture reduction quality and the measurement of implant position parameters in femoral head (such as neck-shaft angle and tip-apex distance), and finally lead to a meaningless comparison with the accurate normal value. The 30° anteromedial oblique view from the true lateral (set as 0°) is a tangential projection of the cortices at the anteromedial inferior corner, which gives a clear profile for the determination of cortical apposition status and mechanical support. It is essential to get firstly the true standard lateral fluoroscopy of the nail (shown as a line), then rotate the C-arm to 90° and 30° to get anteroposterior and anteromedial oblique views, and use these three immediate postoperative radiographies as the baseline for evaluation of operative quality and follow-up comparisons. Conclusion As for real-time monitoring of surgical steps, intraoperative fluoroscopy follows the “Enough is Good” principle, but as for immediate postoperative data storage and basis for operative quality evaluation and baseline for follow-up comparison, it is recommended to obtain a set of three standard radiographic pictures in anteroposterior, true lateral, and 30° anteromedial oblique fluoroscopic projections.