Depending on patient's age, risk factors and pretraumatic mobility, a total- or hemiarthroplasty of the hip have become the treatment of choice in femoral neck fractures(1–4). Internal fixation has shown to provide minor results. The majority of these patients are therefore treated by a hemiarthroplasty of the hip. Since the primary goal is to regain the pretraumatic level of mobility as soon as possible(3;5), we sought to investigate, if a minimal invasive anterior approach would be beneficial in regard of perioperative blood loss(6), postoperative pain(7;8) and thus postoperative mobility(9). In a randomised controlled trial, 48 patients were treated by a hemiarthroplasty of the hip via an anterior or lateral approach in supine position within 72 hours after trauma(10). Apart from parameters like age, ASA-Score or Body-mass-index, the main focus was set on perioperative blood loss, pain and postoperative mobilisation. All data collected were compared between groups to detect statistical significant differences. Additionally the same parameters were checked for significant differences comparing patients with or without complications within their group.Introduction
Patients and methods
