Impaction Bone Grafting or Uncemented Modular Stems for the Treatment of Type B3 Periprosthetic Femoral Fractures? A Complication Rate Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Because the gold standard for the treatment of Vancouver type-B3 periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) is yet to be defined, we sought to analyze the complication rate between the impaction bone grafting (IBG) technique with a cemented stem and reconstruction with an uncemented distally-fixed modular stem (DFMS).

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 54 B3 PFFs operated between 2000 and 2016, comparing the complication rate of 33 patients treated with the IBG technique (group A) with 21 patients treated with a DFMS (group B). Median follow-up of groups A and B were 75 months (interquartile range [IQR], 36-111 months) and 55 months (IQR, 32-73 months), respectively (P = .008). Median age of groups A and B were 78 years (IQR, 74-83 years) and 81 years (IQR, 74-86 years), respectively (P = .30). Median grade of Endo-Klink femoral bone defect was 3 (IQR, 3-3) for both groups (P = .11). We performed a multiple regression analysis to determine risk factors for complications including the following variables: age, initial diagnosis, and surgical technique.

RESULTS

As for infection outcomes, 2-stage revision surgery was more frequent in group A than in group B (4 vs 0, P = .003). Group A presented more implant failures than group B (5 vs 1, P = .195). We found 4 dislocations in group B and 2 in group A (P = .192). Multiple regression analysis showed a significant association between surgical technique and complication rate (P = .01). The IBG technique presented an odds risk for complications of 4.77 (P = .016; IQR, 1.33-17.21).

CONCLUSION

Femoral reconstruction with the IBG technique evidenced an ostensibly higher complication rate than that of DFMS for the treatment of B3 PFF.