Clinical observation and finite element analysis of cannulated screw internal fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fracture based on different reduction quality
Authors: Zhao Gan , Liu Ming , Li Bin , Sun Haizhong , Wei Biaofang 
Published: July 2021

Objective

Femoral neck fracture is one of the most common bone types. The effect of reduction quality on hip joint function and complications after screw internal fixation is not fully understood. To investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanical mechanism of positive buttress, anatomical reduction, and negative buttress in the treatment of femoral neck fracture after cannulated screw fixation.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients with femoral neck fracture treated with three cannulated screws internal fixation in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2018. According to the quality of fracture reduction, the patients were divided into positive buttress group, anatomical reduction group, and negative buttress group. Basic information such as injury mechanism, time from injury to surgery, Garden classification and Pauwels classification was collected, Harris scores were performed at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery, and postoperative complications (femoral head necrosis, femoral neck shortening, and femoral neck nonunion) were collected. At the same time, three groups of finite element models with different reduction quality were established for stress analysis, their stress clouds were observed and the average displacement and stress of the three groups of models were compared. P < 0.05 was used to represent a statistically significant difference.

Results

A total of 225 cases of unilateral femoral neck fractures were included and followed up for an average of 4.12 ± 0.69 years. There was no significant difference in age, gender, side, injury mechanism, time from injury to surgery, BMI, Garden classification, Pauwels classification, and follow-up time among the three groups (P > 0.05). However, there was significant difference in Harris score at 6 and 12 months after operation among the three groups (P < 0.05), which was higher in the positive buttress group and anatomical reduction group than in the negative buttress group. In addition, the incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in the negative buttress group (32.2%) was greater than that in the anatomical reduction group (13.4%) and the positive buttress group (5.4%) (P < 0.05). In addition, the incidence of femoral neck nonunion and femoral neck shortening in the negative buttress group was also higher than that in the anatomical reduction positive buttress group (P < 0.05). The finite element results showed that the stress and fracture end displacement in the negative buttress group were greater than those in the positive buttress group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Both positive buttress and anatomical reduction in the treatment of femoral neck fracture with cannulated screw internal fixation can obtain better clinical effect and lower postoperative complications. Positive brace support and anatomic reduction can limit the restoration of femoral stress conduction. Therefore, it is not necessary to pursue anatomical reduction too deliberately during surgery, while negative buttress reduction should be avoided.