Surgery: Current Research
Aguado-Maestro et al., Surgery Curr Res 2013, 3:4
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-1076.1000146
Research Article Open Access
Volume 3 • Issue 4 • 1000146
Surgery Curr Res
ISSN: 2161-1076 SCR, an open access journal
Hip Fractures with Rotational Instability: Concept and Surgical Technique
Aguado-Maestro I*, Escudero-Marcos R, Nistal-Rodríguez J, Alonso-García N, Pérez-Bermejo D, Bañuelos-Díaz A, Cebrián-Rodríguez E,
Ramos-Galea R, and García-Alonso M
Hospital Universitario del Río Hortega, Valladolid, Spain
*Corresponding author: Aguado-Maestro I, Hospital Universitario del Río
Hortega, Valladolid, Spain, E-mail: nacho.ams@gmail.com
Received August 03, 2013; Accepted August 28, 2013; Published September
07, 2013
Citation: Aguado-Maestro I, Escudero-Marcos R, Nistal-Rodríguez J, Alonso-
García N, Pérez-Bermejo D, et al. (2013) Hip Fractures with Rotational Instability:
Concept and Surgical Technique. Surgery Curr Res 3: 146. doi:10.4172/2161-
1076.1000146
Copyright: © 2013 Aguado-Maestro I, et al. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided
the original author and source are credited.
Keywords: Hip fracture; Rotational instability; Surgical technique
Introduction
he high occurrence of hip fractures among senior citizens cannot
be overlooked, as they are the most frequent cause of admission
to trauma units in cases involving elderly patients. Half of them are
considered extra capsular, leading to high mortality rates.
he endomedular nail is one of the most frequently used devices
for the treatment of these fractures in our hospitals at the moment.
his device allows a shorter moment arm due to the force being
applied over a shorter distance. his reduces bending loads seen by the
implant. Helical blade in Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation provides
in addition greater angular and rotational stability by compacting
trabecular bone while being inserted. Other systems have been designed
to prevent rotation of the cervical fragment, such us double-screw
nails. However, helical blade itself showed a decrease in postoperative
implant-associated complications, especially in osteoporotic bone and
unstable fracture types [1].
It has been demonstrated that intramedullary nails are better than
sliding hip screws in unstable fractures [2-4]. Such unstable patterns
consist of reverse obliquity fractures, transtrochanteric fractures,
fractures with a large posteromedial fragment implying loss of the
medial buttress, and fractures with subrochanteric extension [4,5].
Osteoporosis was considered by Harrington to be a predictor for
instability in 1975 [6]. Recent studies have dispelled this theory. he
relationship between the Singh method for radiographic evaluation
of osteoporosis and mechanical complications remains controversial
[7,8]. Furthermore, there is a wide variability intra and interobserver in
Singh’s classiication [9].
he most common classiication for these fractures is the provided
by AO/OTA, which divides the patterns into 3 diferent groups; 1
(pertrocantheric simple), 2 (pertrocantheric multifragmentary), and
3 (intertrocantheric) [10]. his is, for the most part, an anatomical
classiication. However, in previous works [11], we noticed a higher
incidence of cut out in simple pattern (AO/OTA 31A1) basicervical
fractures treated with endomedullary nail (Proximal Femoral Nail
Abstract
Introduction: New concepts regarding instability in extra capsular fractures have led to a better understanding
of their biomechanical behavior. Location and direction of the fracture line determine rotational instability in typically
deined “stable” fractures. We propose a modiication of the classical osteosynthesis with endomedular nail.
Material and methods: Fourteen patients met the inclusion criteria (31A1 fractures with a fracture line angled
more than 70 degrees) between October 2012 and February 2013. They were all treated with PFNA nail, standard
technique modiied by adding a 7.3 mm cannulated screw with anti-rotation effect as described by the authors. X-Ray
controls were performed after 24 hours, and after 1, 3 and 6 months, evaluating reduction, helical blade position
(Cleveland-Bosworth) and tip-apex distance (Baumgaertner). Consolidation, loss of reduction and function were also
reviewed.
Results: Reduction quality was good or fair in 91%, founding the helical blade in center-center position in every
case, with an average tip-apex distance of 12.24 mm.
Conclusions: The theory of helical blade rotation through the femoral is becoming more and more relevant
regarding cut out. Deining those fracture lines affected by rotational instability will lead to more easily determining the
criteria for using a cannulated screw for additional stabilization. The technique is safe, simple and easily replicated.
Satisfactory results were observed in all the cases, despite the small sample size.
Antirotation), which involved the 4 cases we had. In these four cases,
we appreciated a simple fracture line, angled in more than 70 degrees
with an imaginary horizontal line.
A basicervical fracture is one that extends through the base of the
femoral neck, next to the intertrochanteric region [12]. It is postulated
that rotation of the femoral head is a potential initiator for cutting
out [13,14]. Previous works by Massoud considered the possibility of
treating these fractures with a DHS using a derotation screw.
he aim of this article is to present the surgical technique and
results of basicervical fractures treated in our hospital with a Proximal
Femoral Nail Antirotation with a derotation screw to enhance
rotational stability.
Material and Methods
Fourteen consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria between
October 2012 and February 2013. hese criteria consisted of basicervical
fractures (AO/OTA 31A1) with a fracture line angled at more than 70
degrees against an imaginary horizontal line, low-energy trauma (self
height fall) and osteoporosis. he exclusion criteria excluded patients
aged 60 years old or less and high-energy traumas.
here were 14 women, with an average age of 80.3 years old (64-
87). he evaluation of the results was done by an independent surgeon.
All of them were treated with a PFNA nail with a modiied technique