Clinical Study on Hip Fractures

Chung, Woo Koo; Oh, Chung Il; Roh, Yak Woo; Moon, Byung Ki; Kwak, Myung Hun

Abstract

Fractures of the hip are usually classified first according to their anatomic location. Isolated fractures of the lesser or greater trochanter are not common and rarely requir surgery, Femoral neck fractures, intertrochanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures are common categories that usually require open reduction and internal fixation. These fractures most often occur in elderly patients. The prognosis of these three major categories of hip fractures seems to be entirely different because of their anatomic characteristics. Seventy three cases of hip fractures were experienced at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Eul-Ji General Hospital over the period from Jan. 1975 to Aug. 1980 and the following results were obtained. 1. Of the 73 hip fractures, femoral neck fractures were 28 cases (38.5%), intertrochanteric fractures were 23 cases (31.5%), subtrochanteric fractures 11 cases (15%), and acetabular, fractures 11 cases (15%). 2. Traffic accident was the major cause of hip fractures in our series. 42 cases (57.2%) were caused by traffic accident, whereas 27 cases (37.0%) by a fall from the height. 3. Hip fractures occured most frequently in the age group from 31 to 50 years (53.5%). Male to female ratio was 2:1. 4. Cases caused by traffic accident visited hospital earlier than the others. 5. The most common type was Garden's type IV (53.6%) in the femoral neck fractures, Boyd-Griffins type Il (47.8%) in the intertrochanteric fractures, and Fielding's type II (54.5%) in the subtrochanteric fractures. 6. Metal devices used to fix hip fractures were Knowles pin, Jewett nail plate, compression hip screw, plate and screws, and Kuntscher nail. Internal fixation was done anatomical reduction has been achieved in stable fractures, and Dimon-Hughston reduction in unstable fractures. 7. Postoperative cast immobillzation was performed in 13 cases of 21 femoral neck fractures, 15 cases of 22 intertrochanteric fractures and 6 cases of 11 subtrochanteric fractures. The average duration of immobilization was 10 to 12 weeks. 8. Incidence of avascular necrosis in femoral neck fractures was 16.7%, nonunion in intertrochanteric fractures was 11.8%, and nonunion is subtrochanteric fractures was 12.5%.