[Comparative study of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation and dynamic hip screw in the unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly].

Objective

To compare the effect of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation and dynamic hip screw in treating the femoral intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.

Methods

From June 2011 to June 2014, totally 158 elderly patients of femoral intertrochanteric fracture were treated by surgery, among whom 68 cases were treated with dynamic hip screws (DHS), and 90 patients were treated with proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA). The operative time, hospitalization time, weight-bearing time, fracture-healing time, blood loss and the hip function score after the operation were compared between the two groups by using the t test; and the incidence of the postoperative complication was compared between the two groups by using the Chi square test.

Results

All the patients were followed-up for 6 to 18 months (12. 6 months on average). There was no statistic differences in the gender, age, the surgical time after injury and the fracture type between the two groups (χ(2)=0.025, t=1.461, 1.329, χ(2)=2.070, all P>0.05). While, the operative time, blood loss, hospitalization time and the weight-bearing time in the PFNA group were all significantly lower than those in the DHS group[(47±14) vs (114±20) min, (121±26) vs (281±44) ml, (10.2±3.3) vs (13.5±2.8) d, (29±8) vs (53±10) d, t=8.376, 6.669, 2.176, 2.664, all P<0.05]; and the Harris hip score of 6 months post operation in PFNA group was significantly higher than that in the DHS group (90±17 vs 87±15, t=2.337, P<0.05). However, no significant difference in fracture healing time was found between the two groups[(11.8±2.3) vs (12.2±2.7) weeks, t=1.114, P>0.05]. Moreover, the incidence of complications in the DHS group was 16.2% while it was 7.8% in the PFNA group, the latter was obviously lower (χ(2)=4.801, P<0.05).

Conclusions

DHS is suitable for the patients with good physical condition or for the patients with stable fracture types. While, PFNA has the advantages of firmly fixation, less tissue damage, lower complications and wide indications. So, it is superior in the femoral intertrochanteric fractures.