Abstract
We have performed a prospective review of 590 consecutive patients treated for a displaced intracapsular femoral neck fracture with a Thompson hemiarthroplasty. 113 patients had the prosthesis cemented, 477 had no cement. The outcome at 12 months was obtained for every patient still alive as regards to pain, mobility, re-operation rate and residential status. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups as regards pain (p = 0.482), decrease in mobility or re-operation rate (p = 0.168). The main determination of poor outcome was increasing age at time of injury and whether the patient was already in institutional care at the time of the injury. The use of cement had no bearing on outcome.
This study is of clinical interest because patients who have undergone uncemented hemiarthroplasty have been shown to have similar out come to cemented hemiarthroplasty in terms of function. In addition possible but preventable complications associated with cementing can be minimized. We now believe there is no primary indication to cement the Thompsons hemiarthroplasty in this group of patients.
There have been smaller studies looking at this, but we believe this to be the largest and most comprehensive to date.
Theses abstracts were prepared by Professor Roger Lemaire. Correspondence should be addressed to EFORT Central Office, Freihofstrasse 22, CH-8700 Küsnacht, Switzerland.
