Primary Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty for the Treatment of Unstable Intertrochanteric Fractures in Elderly Patients

Suh, You Sung; Kim, Sung Tae; Yim, Soo Jae; Kim, Yon Il; Rah, Soo Kyoon; Choi, Chang Uk

Abstract

PURPOSE : The purpose of this paper was to present the clinical and roentgenographic results were obtained with bipolar hemiarthroplasty as a primary treatment for comminuted unstable intertrochanteric fracture in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis. The goal of this treatment is early ambulation with early weight bearing to prevent the complications such as a deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia or atelectasis, and pressure sore.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
: Twenty consecutive patients who were more than seventy years old with severe osteopotosis and had an comminuted unstable intertrochanteric fractures were treated by primary bipolar hemiarthtoplasty from January 1995 through January 1998 at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Soonchunhyang University Hospital. If there were fractured at the lesser or the greater, a circlage wire or Dall-Miles system (trochanter cable grip system) was passed through the lesser and the greater trochnater to permit its subsequent fixation to the medial and the lateral side of the femoral component. The functional results were judged according to the hip rating scale of Merle d' Aubigne.
RESULTS
: The mean age at operation was 79.8(70 to 92) years old. The most common type according to the Evans classification system was I -d(10 cases, 50%). Singh index was case(5%) of Grade I , 7 cases(35%) of Grade II, 10 cases(50%) of Grade III and 2 cases(10%) of Grade IV. The mean bone mineral density(BMD) was -4.24(-6.95 - -3.17). The functional results in 75% of the patients were rated as excellent, very good, or good and in 25% as fair, poor, or bad.
CONCLUSION
: Primary bipolar hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of comminuted unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis could return these patients to their pre-injury level of activity quickly, thus obviating the postoperative complications caused by immobilization.