One-year outcome for elderly patients with displaced intracapsular fractures of the femoral neck managed non-operatively.

The outcome of patients with a displaced intracapsular femoral neck fracture treated non-operatively was assessed at 1 year and compared with patients managed operatively over the same time period. Data were collected prospectively for 102 consecutive patients. 80 patients underwent hemiarthroplasty and 22 were managed non-operatively. Patients were managed non-operatively if they were felt to have an unacceptably high risk of death within the perioperative period despite medical optimisation. Non-operative management entailed active early mobilisation without bed rest or traction. Patients managed non-operatively had a greater 30-day mortality compared with operatively managed patients. Deaths were due to pre-existing medical conditions or events, which had occurred at the time of hip fracture. No patient in the non-operative treatment group developed pneumonia, pressure sores or thrombo-embolic events. Patients treated non-operatively, who survived 30 days after fracture, had a mortality rate over the following year comparable with those who had undergone surgery. At 1 year, all non-operatively managed patients were able to transfer without pain and 6 of the 11 surviving patients were able to mobilise with walking aids. At 1 year, the majority of surviving non-operatively managed patients were living in their own homes. Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice for the majority of elderly patients with a displaced intracapsular femoral neck fracture. However, in patients with life-threatening medical co-morbidity, non-operative treatment with early mobilisation can yield acceptable results.