Hip fractures re-operation compared with death at two year in elderly patients: lowest risk of revision with dual mobility total hip arthroplasty than with bipolar hemiarthroplasty or internal fixation of Garden I and II.

PURPOSE

This study determined at two year follow-up the lifetime risk of re-operation for elderly patients with hip fractures undergoing internal fixation, dual mobility total hip arthroplasty, or bipolar hemiarthroplasty, using death of the patient as a competing risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With the hypothesis that arthroplasties may have less complications without increasing mortality even for Garden I and Garden II fractures, we retrospectively reviewed 317 hips with femoral neck fractures operated between January 2015 and August 2019. The mean age at time of surgical intervention was 82.4 years (range 65 to 105). Sixty patients presented a nondisplaced hip fracture (Garden I or II) treated by internal fixtion (I-F), and 257 were treated by hip arthroplasty: 118 dual mobility total hip arthroplasty (DM-THA) and 139 with a bipolar hemiarthroplaty (B-H). Demographics, surgical and complications data, and mortality were collected and compared for each group.

RESULTS

The overall mortality rate was 22.4% at two years, and similar (p = 0.98) in all groups, respectively 22%, 22%, and 23% for DM-THA, B-H, and I-F groups. With dual mobility THA, the cumulative incidence of re-operations for any reason was (lower (9%) than with internal fixation (22%) or bipolar hemiarthroplasties (19%).

CONCLUSION

Using a double mobility total prosthesis does not increase the post-operative mortality of the patients, nor does it increase their survival. But, reducing the risk of complications certainly improves their quality of life during the little time they have left .