Salvage of cephalomedullary nail cutout with the variable angle proximal femoral plate.

INTRODUCTION

Excellent results have been published in the treatment of the trochanteric fractures in the elderly with cephalomedullary nails or compression hip screws but not free of complications. The perforation of the lag screw through the superior cortex of femoral neck or head followed by rotation and varus collapse of the head-neck fragment, also known as cut-out, is one of them. Probably total hip arthroplasty is the most common solution, but there is no systematic technique for treatment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the results obtained in the treatment of this complication using a variable angle femoral plate.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

This retrospective study concerns patients over 65 years with peritrochanteric fractures treated with cephalomedullary nail with cut-out failure solved by re-osteosyntesis with variable angle femoral plate between 1st January 2000 and 31 st December 2017. The series includes 29 patients, 26 women and 3 men with average age 87,3. Patients were followed up clinically and radiologically at regular intervals until fracture consolidation at least 9 months.

RESULTS

No patients died at the first 9 months after surgery. Fracture mean consolidation has occurred in all patients in 14th weeks (6-20). Operative time was 93,2 minutes (62-129) including removal of nail. No intraoperative complications were observed. Five patients experienced medical complications and two had a superficial wound infection. The mean tip-apex distance (TAD) was 5mm (2-7mm). The neck-shaft angle was 127 degrees. The mean valgization achieved was 32 degrees (15-40). Only one patient needed a second revision surgery due to aseptic hip joint subluxation after 8 weeks of the surgery solved with total hip arthroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of variable angle femoral plate in the cut-out treatment is an attractive option which allows the valgization of the fracture to virtually physiological limits and the placement of the cephalic screw in the most sutiable position with good outcomes and few complications.