Long Versus Short Proximal Femoral Nail in the Management of Unstable Intertrochanteric Fractures in Elderly Population

INTRODUCTION: Intertrochanteric fractures constitute a vast majority of geriatric orthopedic trauma having highest postoperative morbidity and mortality of surgically treated fractures. Use of cephalomedullary nails for treatment of highly unstable intertrochanteric fractures is now more common as plate xation is associated with higher risk of implant breakage and screw cutout. However, choice of length of these nails remains surgeon dependent. AIM: to compare the functional outcome and complications associated with the use of Long and Short PFN for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures (AO/OTAtype 31A1 and 31A2) in elderly population. METHOD: A prospective interventional study comprising of 58 patients distributed in two groups in which one group (n=25) was treated with long PFN while other group (n=33) was operated with short PFN. Parameters compared between these two groups included demographic data, intraoperative blood loss and surgical duration as well as analysis of radiological and clinical progression of union and postoperative complications in the form of hip pain, anterior thigh pain and failure rate. Functional assessment was done using Harris hip score. RESULT:This study included only AO/OTAtype 31A1 and 31A2 fracture types in elderly patients above 60 years of age. We found no statistically signicant difference with regard to age, sex as well as fracture type among two groups. Long PFN group had a shorter union time (11.4 weeks) and was associated with lesser postoperative complication and failure rate as compared to short PFN. Also, functional outcome evaluated using Harris hip score shown better scores in long PFN group. However, intraoperative blood loss and surgical duration was found to be signicantly lesser in short PFN group. CONCLUSION: use of cephalomedullary nails either short or long for xation of unstable intertrochanteric fractures particularly AO/OTA type 31A1 and 31A2 provides good results. However, longer nails should be preferred over short nails as these are associated with less postoperative complication such as hip pain or anterior thigh pain owing to excessive curvature of femur in Indian population with lesser union time and better functional outcome as compared to short PFN. Shorter nails may be used in cases of sick and polytrauma patients where shorter operative time with minimal blood loss is desirable