Comparison of Less Invasive and Conventional Surgical Techniques for Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures

Objectives. To compare the treatment outcomes of less invasive dynamic hip screw fixation (less invasive DHS) with conventional dynamic hip screw fixation (conventional DHS) for intertrochanteric hip fractures (ITF).Methods. From Jan. 2008 to Dec. 2010, we retrospectively reviewed 231 patients who had received surgical procedures for ITF in Taoyuan General Hospital. Forth-six patients received less invasive DHS and 185 patients received conventional DHS. Main outcomes were wound size, pre-operative and post-operative hemoglobin and hematocrit, blood loss, blood transfusion, operative time, length of hospital stay, complications and mortality.Results. The two groups have similar pre-operative and post-operative lab data except lower post-operative WBC in the less invasive DHS group. The less invasive DHS group also has smaller wound size, lower blood loss, less pre-operative and intra-operative blood transfusion. There was no significant difference in the operative time, length of hospital stay, post-operative complications and mortality between the two groups.Conclusions. Less invasive DHS fixation for ITF is a safe and effective surgical procedure capable of significantly reducing the blood loss, blood transfusion and wound length without increasing the number of complications and mortality rate.