Comparison of InterTAN and PFNA internal fixation for elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical outcomes of InterTAN nail and proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) internal fixation for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 151 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures treated in The Second People's Hospital of Hefei from October 2019 to December 2021. Among them, 73 patients had undergone InterTAN (InterTAN group) and 78 patients had undergone PFNA (PFNA group) internal fixation. Operation-related variables (operation time, incision length, intraoperative bleeding volume, hospital stays length, and fracture healing time), complications, and Harris scores were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The operation time and incision length were shorter and the intraoperative bleeding was less in the PFNA group than in the InterTAN group (all P-values <0.05), but the fracture healing time was longer in the PFNA group (P<0.05). We found similar hospital stays and surgical complications in the two groups (P>0.05). In addition, the Harris hip joint scores were significantly higher in the InterTAN group than in the PFNA group at one, six, and twelve months after the operation (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

InterTAN and PFNA internal fixation have their own advantages in treating patients with intertrochanteric fractures. InterTAN has better postoperative recovery results, while PFNA has less perioperative trauma. Clinically, InterTAN or PFNA should be selected based on the specific conditions of each patient to maximize the therapeutic benefit of each treatment method.