Dual head screw hip nailing for trochanteric fractures

There are limited information and inconclusive results for dual head screw intramedullary hip nails for trochanteric fractures. Therefore, we performed a prospective study to evaluate the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients operated with this implant.

We prospectively studied 79 patients (61 women and 18 men; mean age: 84.7 years; range: 65-96 years) with a low-energy trochanteric fracture, treated with a dual head screw intramedullary hip nail from 2013 to 2016. The mean follow-up was 2.1 years (range: 1-3 years); seven patients were lost to follow up. This left 72 patients for further analysis. We evaluated the healing of fractures, and survival, function, and complications of patients.

Fracture healing was evident in 70 patients (97.2%) at 2-3 months postoperatively. One patient experienced cut-out and z-effect phenomenon of the head screws. Another patient experienced a periprosthetic femoral diaphysis fracture at the distal tip of the nail. A third patient experienced an acute postoperative superficial skin infection that was treated successfully with wound dressing changes and a course of antibiotics. Sixteen patients (22.2%) deceased within 12 months postoperatively. In the remaining patients, the Harris Hip Score (HHS) at 12 months postoperatively was excellent in 16 (28.6%), good in 23 (41.1%), fair in 10 (17.8%), and poor in 7 patients (12.5%). The function declined after the patients' fracture. Fair and poor results were related to age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3 fracture types.

The dual head screw intramedullary hip nail is associated with high healing and low complication rates for intertrochanteric fractures. The function of the patients is good or excellent in most cases; however, it declines, especially for those patients with age > 85 years, poor pre-fracture level of function, and AO/OTA-31-A3 fracture types.