STUDY OF THE TREATMENT OF FEMORAL HEAD FRACTURES

To establish guidelines for the treatment of femoral head fractures and to determine the best form of access in cases treated surgically.

We evaluated the clinical and radiological results from 13 patients (13 fractures) treated surgically, between May 1986 and July 1996, at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Sao Paulo (SCMSP), Fernandinho Simonsen Wing.

Out of six cases of Pipkin 1 fractures, five underwent resection of the fragment, resulting in four excellent and one good result. The good result had fixation of the fragment. Three patients presented Pipkin 2 fractures and all of them had fixation of the fragment, resulting in two excellent and one regular result. Two patients had Pipkin 3 fractures and underwent primary arthroplasty. Among the two patients with Pipkin 4 lesions, one was treated with reduction and osteosynthesis of the acetabular fracture, without addressing the head fragment, which had reduced significantly, resulting in early arthrosis; and the other patient was treated with total arthroplasty as the primary treatment.

Upon comparing the literature review and our patients' treatment results, we concluded that femoral head fracture treatment needs to be surgical and that the choice of surgical access depends on the type of fracture.