Pauwels screw combined inverted triangle cannulated screws for the treatment of Pauwels type-III femoral neck fracture:- a new surgical method based on the morphology of the fracture
Abstract Background: Femoral neck fracture is a serious injury in adults with significant functional consequences.Internal fixtion is an established treatment for femoral neck fractures in young adult patients .However, the risk of complications following fixation has plague orthopedists for decades.In all femoral neck fracture ,Pauwels type-III femoral neck fractures with a large vertical shear force were more likely to cause clinical failure.The aim of this study is to intruduce a new surgical technique for the treatment of this fracture according to the morphology of the fracture using the combination of Pauwels screw and inverted triangle cannulated screws(PSTCS),and report the clinical effects in a prospective cohort of 14 patients.Methods: From June 2017 to June 2019, a total of 14 patients (8 males and 6 females ) with Pauwels type-III femoral neck fracture underwent the surgical treatment of PSTCS according to the morphologyical types of fracture in clinical operation in our department. Patients were allowed to perform contraction exercises of quadriceps femoris on postoperative day1, passive flexion and extension exercises postoperative day 2 onwards, and active flexion and extension exercises postoperative day 7 onwards. Patients were allowed for partial-weight bearing walking postoperative 1month onwards with axillary crutches. After one month AP and lateral radiograph were taken. Full ambulation was permitted until the presence of radiological consolidation.Intraoperative (Operative duration,Blood loss),postoperation(Fracture union time,The Harris Hip Score,Visual analog score) were record for comparison.Results: All patients were followed up for at least 12 months.In the end point of the follow up ,12 of the 14 patients (85.7%)with pauwels type-III femoral neck fractures had achieved satisfactory hip function. Operative duration was a mean of 49.5 ±10.4 minutes.Intraoperative blood loss was between 26 and 110 ml (mean, 44.4±20.6ml) and without intraoperative blood transfusion . The Harris Hip Score was between 64 and 95(mean,87.6±8.9).Fracture healing was observed in all patients according to the X-ray . No internal fixation was loosened or screw cut-out in the follow-up period.The femoral head necrosis was observed in 1 patient in this study. In addition, there was no obvious fracture displacement, femoral neck shortening, or hip varus. Conclusions: The study showed that PSTCS can provide a satisfactory clinical outcomes for treatment of pauwels type-III femoral neck fractures.Most patients (85.7%) achieved good or excellent results with the use of PSTCS,which appears to be a reliable method and provides another choice for this problematic fracture.The new internal fixation method of PSTCS can provide mechanical stability and promote fracture healing