hip frac amotio
Alle deler > BILL > Studier > Epidemiology
Hulleberg G, Finsen V.:
REMOVAL OF OSTEOSYNTHESIS MATERIAL FROM HEALED HIP FRACTURES. INDICATIONS AND PROGNOSIS.
Ann Chir Gynaecol 79: 161-64, 1990
Many patients complain of pain after their hip fractures have healed. We tried to determine if it is possible, on the basis of radiographic findings and pain localization, to select the patients who will improve if the osteosynthesis material is removed.
In 39 instances (34 patients) hardware was removed because of pain. These patients were interviewed and their radiographs reviewed. Most (25) had improved after removal, 22 within three months. Lateral pain was more common than groin pain. 17 patients had pathological radiographic findings before removal. Four out of nine with segmental collapse of the head of the femur were improved by removal of the osteosynthesis material. A number of these had had only lateral pain preoperatively. Of the ten patients where the hardware projected laterally into the soft tissues eight improved. Three of these had only groin pains.
We conclude that pain localization is a poor indicator of the value of osteosynthesis material removal. Perhaps more patients should be offered removal. This may also apply to those with some segmental collapse of the femoral head.