Abstract
Introduction
Cemented hemiarthroplasty for neck of femur fractures has been advocated over uncemented hemiarthroplasty due to better post-operative recovery and patient satisfaction. However, studies have shown adverse effects of bone cement on the cardio-respiratory system which may lead to higher morbidity and mortality. Therefore, in some institutes, the use of an uncemented prosthesis has been adopted for patients with a high number of co-morbidities. The aim was to compare early mortality rates for cemented vs. uncemented hemiarthroplasties.
Method
Cohort study of displaced intracapsular hip fractures treated with hemiarthroplasty between 1999–2009 at one institute. A total of 3094 hemiarthroplasties performed; out of which 1002(32.4%) were cemented and 2092(67.6%) were uncemented. 48hour and 30day mortality rates for the two groups were compared and a multivariate Cox regression model used to eliminate confounding factors. Significant confounding factor included age, sex, mini mental test score, medical co-morbidities, Nottingham Hip Fracture Score and delay to surgery.
Results
The study showed that, after eliminating confounding factors, 48hour mortality in the cemented group was 0.3% compared to 0.5% in the uncemented group (p=0.388). However, the adjusted 30day mortality rate for the cemented group (4%) was shown to be significantly lower than for the uncemented group (10.8%) (p< 0.001).
Conclusion
The use of cement in hip hemiarthroplasty is not associated with an increased rate of mortality at 48hours or at 30days. Along with emerging evidence of better post-op recovery and patient satisfaction with the use of a cemented prosthesis, we support the use of cement for all patients undergoing hip hemiarthroplasty.
