Jonne Prins1, Johanna C E Donders1, David L Helfet2, David S Wellman3, Craig E Klinger3, Mariya Redko4, Peter Kloen1. 1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 2. Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Center for Hip Preservation, Hospital for Special Surgery and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States. Electronic address: helfetd@hss.edu. 3. Orthopaedic Trauma Service, Center for Hip Preservation, Hospital for Special Surgery and New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States. 4. Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Periprosthetic femoral nonunions (PPFN) have a reported incidence of 3-9%. Literature on PPFN management is scarce. The study aim was to review combined results of two academic teaching hospitals using comparable PPFN treatment strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients treated for a PPFN between February 2005 and December 2016. All patients treated with internal fixation for a PPFN with complete clinical and radiological follow-up until healing were included. Nineteen patients were identified (mean age 71.2 years, range 49-87). Treatment consisted of failed hardware removal, debridement, reduction, and rigid internal fixation with or without bone graft. For revision PPFN surgery, use of dual-plating and bone graft augmentation was common. RESULTS: Eighteen of 19 patients (94.7%) progressed to osseous union. One patient was converted to a total femoral prosthesis. No patients were lost to follow-up. All were ambulatory at last follow-up and mean follow-up was 39.8 months. Fourteen patients (73.7%) united after our index nonunion surgery at mean 9.8 months. Five patients (26.3%) required revision surgery after our index nonunion treatment and in 4 of these cases union was achieved at mean 18.0 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest debridement, revision of fixation and liberal use of bone grafting can lead to reliable healing in the majority of PPFNs. For those PPFNs that do not heal following initial treatment, good healing potential persists with an additional procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III.
INTRODUCTION: Periprosthetic femoral nonunions (PPFN) have a reported incidence of 3-9%. Literature on PPFN management is scarce. The study aim was to review combined results of two academic teaching hospitals using comparable PPFN treatment strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients treated for a PPFN between February 2005 and December 2016. All patients treated with internal fixation for a PPFN with complete clinical and radiological follow-up until healing were included. Nineteen patients were identified (mean age 71.2 years, range 49-87). Treatment consisted of failed hardware removal, debridement, reduction, and rigid internal fixation with or without bone graft. For revision PPFN surgery, use of dual-plating and bone graft augmentation was common. RESULTS: Eighteen of 19 patients (94.7%) progressed to osseous union. One patient was converted to a total femoral prosthesis. No patients were lost to follow-up. All were ambulatory at last follow-up and mean follow-up was 39.8 months. Fourteen patients (73.7%) united after our index nonunion surgery at mean 9.8 months. Five patients (26.3%) required revision surgery after our index nonunion treatment and in 4 of these cases union was achieved at mean 18.0 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest debridement, revision of fixation and liberal use of bone grafting can lead to reliable healing in the majority of PPFNs. For those PPFNs that do not heal following initial treatment, good healing potential persists with an additional procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III.
Authors: Giuseppe Pica; Francesco Liuzza; Mario Ronga; Luigi Meccariello; Domenico De Mauro; Amarildo Smakaj; Enio De Cruto; Giuseppe Rollo Journal: Orthop Rev (Pavia) Date: 2022-10-13