Gunshot Wounds to The Hip.

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Trauma Surgery
• Ballistics Medicine

Background:

• Gunshot wounds to the hip frequently result in complex, comminuted peritrochanteric fractures.
• These injuries often involve damage to adjacent soft tissues and abdominal organs, complicating treatment.
• Management of such fractures poses significant challenges in orthopaedic trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze outcomes of orthopaedic procedures for gunshot-induced peritrochanteric hip fractures.
• To evaluate the union rates and complications associated with primary fixation.
• To assess the effectiveness of revision strategies, including total hip replacement.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 25 orthopaedic procedures for peritrochanteric hip fractures caused by gunshot wounds.
• Review of primary fixation techniques and their union rates.
• Examination of revision surgeries performed for fixation failures.

Main Results:

• The overall union rate for primary fixation was 66%.
• Two patients required revision surgery due to failed primary fixation.
• Two cases of fixation failure were successfully managed with total hip replacement.

Conclusions:

• Gunshot-induced peritrochanteric hip fractures are complex injuries requiring careful management.
• Prioritizing femoral head preservation is crucial to potentially avoid arthroplasty.
• Long-term follow-up is essential for evaluating the success of treatment interventions.