J Korean Fract Soc.  2023 Oct;36(4):118-124. 10.12671/jkfs.2023.36.4.118.

Risk Factors of Fixation Failure in Femoral Neck Fractures

• Yoon SH
• Kim KB
• Lee HJ
• Kim KW

• KMID: 2547295
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2023.36.4.118

Abstract

Purpose
Internal fixation after a femoral neck fracture (FNF) is one of the conventional treatment options for the young and active elderly patients. However, fixation failure of internal fixation is a probable complication. The treatment of fixation failure after a primary internal fixation of the FNF remains a challenge.
Materials and Methods
Between July 2002 and March 2017, 83 patients who underwent internal fixation after FNF were retrospectively analyzed. Radiological assessments, including Pauwels’ angle, fracture level, reduction quality, and bone union, were measured, preoperatively and postoperatively. Moreover, intraoperative variables such as time to surgery, surgical time, and estimated blood loss were also evaluated.
Results
The patients were divided into the fixation failure and the non-failure groups. Among the 83 patients, 17 cases (20.5%) of fixation failure after the primary internal fixation of the FNF were identi-fied. When comparing the two groups according to the radiographic data, Pauwels’ angle and the reduction quality based on Garden’s angle showed significant differences (p<0.001). Moreover, when comparing the intraoperative variables, unlike the surgical time and estimated blood loss, significant differences were noted in the time interval from injury to surgery and specifically in whether the surgery was performed within 12 hours after injury (p<0.001).
Conclusion
Pauwels’ angle, reduction quality, and time to surgery are the major factors that can predict the possibility of internal fixation failure of the FNF. Early and accurate anatomical reduction is needed to decrease complications after the internal fixation of the FNF.

Keyword

Femur neck fracture; Internal fracture fixation; Internal failure of fracture fixation; Pauwels’ angle; Time to surgery