Study of outcomes of cemented hemiarthroplasty for comminuted intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly

To assess the functional outcomes of the unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the osteoporotic individuals treated by primary cemented hemiarthroplasty by early mobilization and immediate weight-bearing, restoration of limb length, and gait Assessment.

It is a prospective study of 17 elderly patients with comminuted intertrochanteric fractures managed with cemented hemiarthroplasty attending to the Department of Orthopaedics, Government General Hospital, Rangaraya medical college, Kakinada.

17 cases of unstable intertrochanteric fractures were treated with cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty. The average follow-up period was 12 months. The average age was 72.75 years with a standard deviation of 5.56. Most (82.3%) of the patients presented with Boyd and Griffin type 2 fracture. The functional assessment by HHS showed good to excellent outcomes in most of the patients (64.7%). 2 patients had abductor weakness, 1 patient had superficial surgical site infection, one had hypotension, and 1 patient had bedsore.

Primary cemented bipolar prosthetic replacement in comminuted intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients provide s painless, stable, and mobile hip joint so that we can institute early postoperative mobilization which can avoid the consequences of prolonged recumbency. Hemiarthroplasty also avoids a second procedure in such elderly patients with multiple comorbidities as there is a high risk of failure of internal fixation in patients with poor bone quality, subjecting them to a second surgery and anaesthesia being a risky proposition.