Spontaneous fracture of the femoral neck following PFN removal

Abstracts

A fratura do colo femoral, sem trauma associado, após a consolidação da fratura transtrocantérica é um evento raro. Os autores relatam um caso de fratura transtrocantérica tratada com PFN, que duas semanas após a retirada da síntese, apresentou fratura do colo femoral, que foi tratada com artroplastia parcial.

Fraturas do fêmur; Fixação intramedular de fraturas; Fraturas do colo femoral

CASE REPORT

Spontaneous fracture of the femoral neck following PFN removal

Arnaldo José Hernandez^I; Edimar Fávaro^II; Marcos Henrique Ferreira Laraya^III; Arnaldo Valdir Zumiotti^I

^ILIM.41 – Musculoskeletal System Laboratory of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Medical School, University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil

^IIMedical Sciences School, Santa Casa de São Paulo, SP, Brazil

^IIIMedical School of Marilia, SP, Brazil

Correspondences to

ABSTRACT

Femoral neck fracture without associated trauma following consolidation of a transtrochanteric fractureis a rare event. The authors report a case of transtrochanteric fracture that was treated with PFN and which presented fracturing of the femoral neck two weeks after removal of the device. This occurrence was treated with partial arthroplasty.

Keywords: Femoral fractures/complications. Fracture fixation. intramedullary. Femoral neck fractures.

INTRODUCTION

The major legacy of the 20th Century for human race was longevity. Even in developing countries, an overwhelming increase of life expectancy was seen.¹ Paradoxically, one of the greatest challenges of the new century is to minimize the socioeconomical impact of population's aging process associated to an improvement of quality of life.

With population's aging process in the last decades, there was a strong increase of the number of fractures affecting the proximal femur.² In Brazil, 90% of SUS resources allocated to orthopaedic illnesses are consumed by nine conditions, including transtrochanteric fractures.³

Among the therapeutic arsenal for treating this fracture, the Proximal Femoral Nail (PFN^®), is gaining attention, since its introduction in clinical practice by the pioneering studies by Schwab et al.⁴ and Simmermacher et al.⁵ Subsequently, other authors confirmed the effectiveness of this implant in providing stabilization in proximal femoral fractures with minimal bleeding, and in allowing early load release.^6,7

Despite of its wide acceptance in clinical practice, this is not a complication-free method. Below, we describe a case of spontaneous femoral neck fracture following the removal of this implant in a united transtrochanteric fracture and the therapy provided.

CASE REPORT

An 82 year-old female patient suffered a fall, resulting in pain and functional disability of the right hip. At the time, transtrochanteric fracture of the right hip was diagnosed and reduction with PFN^® fixation was conducted in 12-4-2001. (Figure 1)

Eighteen months after osteosynthesis, with the transtrochanteric fracture showing union (Figures 2 and 3) and no X-ray changes, the patient reported unspecific pain on the lateral surface of the hip, which was making her walk difficultly. At that time, we interpreted that the implant should have been placed slightly high, somehow causing an impact, and a subtle lateral migration of the screws of the femoral head was perceived. Based on this precept, we decided to remove the implant, and the patient was asked to apply partial load (30% of the body weight), with walker. (Figure 4)

After two weeks, the patient sought us in our practice complaining of a strong worsening of the pain picture and trouble to walk. X-ray images of the hip were taken, where a femoral neck fracture was found, which was classified as Garden's grade 3. (Figure 5) Upon diagnosis, the patient and her family were made aware of the occurrence, and the patient was hospitalized for surgical treatment. Because of her advanced age and of the degree of deviation of the femoral neck fracture, we decided to conduct a partial hip arthroplasty.

DISCUSSION

One of the most common complications of PFN^® is the lateral migration of the femoral head screws, known as effect Z or zeta. This complication is well documented by literature.^8,9 Another complication reported by Rappold et al.¹⁰ was the breakage of three implants in a series of subtrochanteric fractures.

Despite of the diversity of complications described in literature, we didn't find any case of femoral neck fracture after PFN^® removal with the primary fracture showing union, although this complication is described in association with other syntheses.^11,12

The occurrence of femoral neck fractures after transtrochanteric fracture union is a rare event.^11-16 Most of the times, when this occurs, these fractures are associated to a new trauma episode^12,13,15-17, its occurrence being uncommon after implants removal.^11,15

The real cause of this complication is still unclear, but literature suggests that its etiology may be correlated to an incorrect insertion of implants or to avascular necrosis.^12-14,18 However, Buciuto et al.¹¹ described seven spontaneous fractures of the femoral neck, within in average 19 days after the removal of the implant (DHS^® and/ or angled plate), with a histological examination of the femoral head being carried out in three cases, with inconclusive results. The patients were treated with arthroplasty.

Additionally to these potential mechanisms, literature also suggests that after an implant's removal, osteoporosis can also contribute to the weakening the subcapital region of the femoral neck, making it more likely to concentrate stress.^15,19 Buciuto¹¹ also suggests that the pain reported by the patient previously to implant removal, with an united transtrochanteric fracture might have been misunderstood, which, in fact, could be clinical signs of subcapital stress fracture.

The purpose of this paper is to make physicians aware of this rare complication, and, with this information in hands, they must soon inform their patients.

In our opinion, due to risks inherent to this practice, the removal of intramedullary implants of the proximal femur should be carefully performed.

REFERENCES

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• 17. Gogan W, Daum WJ, Simmons DJ, Evans EB. Suncapital fracture of the hip followiing an intertrochanteric fracture. A case report and literature review. Clin Orthop Relat Res.1988;(232):205-9.
• 18. Mariani EM, Rand JA. Subcapital fractures after open reduction and internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures of the hip. Report of three cases. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1989; (245):165-8.
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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  20 July 2009
• Date of issue
  2009

History

• Received
  19 Oct 2007
• Accepted
  23 June 2008