Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of total hip arthroplasty (THA) following failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures. METHODS: Between January 2007 and January 2016, THAs were performed in 32 patients (33 hips) for failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures. There were 15 males and 17 females, with mean age of 74.0 years old (range, 65-87 years). There were 3 hips of Evans-Jensen type Ⅱ, 10 hips of type Ⅲ, 8 hips of type Ⅳ, and 12 hips of type Ⅴ. The fractures were fixed with dynamic hip screw in 18 hips, proximal femoral nail antirotation in 9 hips, locking plate in 5 hips, and hollow screw in 1 hip. The internal fixation failure caused by fracture displacement and nonunion in 22 patients, traumatic arthritis in 6 patients, fracture nonunion and infection in 3 patients, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head in 2 patients. The mean interval from initial fracture fixation to THA was 20 months (range, 2-48 months). The safety evaluation indicators included operation time, amount of operative bleeding and postoperative drainage, blood transfusion, and perioperative complications. The efficacy indexes included the hip Harris score, the range of motion (ROM), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and the length difference between both legs; the X- ray films were taken to assess the prosthesis survival condition. RESULTS: The average operation time was 92 minutes (range, 55-135 minutes). The average amount of operative bleeding and postoperative drainage were 480 mL (range, 360-620 mL) and 350 mL (range, 220-520 mL), respectively. Intraoperative proximal femur fissure fracture occurred in 2 hips. After operation, 10 cases received allogeneic blood transfusion, 1 case occurred cerebral infarction, 2 hips experienced dislocation, 1 hip occurred greater trochanter re-fracture and dislocation because of spraining, and 1 case died of myocardial infarction. Twenty-nine patients (30 hips) were followed up 2-10 years (mean, 4.9 years). At last follow-up, there was no infection recurrence in 3 infected hips, and there was no prosthesis loosening, subsidence, or rupture in all cases. The Harris score, ROM, VAS score, and the length difference between both legs were significantly superior to preoperative ones ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: THA is an effective salvage procedure after failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fracture. But its perioperative risks and complications are pretty high. Adequate preoperative evaluation, elaborate and individualized perioperative management are keys to make sure the patient can safely survive the perioperative period.