Comparative evaluation of postoperative health status and functional outcome in patients treated with either proximal femoral nail or hemiarthroplasty for unstable intertrochanteric fracture

Purpose: This study aimed to compare functional recovery and change in morbidity status from the preoperative levels among patients who underwent two different surgical treatments for unstable intertrochanteric fracture. Methods: This retrospective comparative study enrolled 140 patients (aged >80 years) who were referred to two hospitals. Of these, 64 were treated using proximal femoral nail (PFN) and 76 were treated using hemiarthroplasty (HA). To evaluate functional recovery, primary outcome measures were cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS) score to evaluate changes in morbidity status, activity of daily living (ADL) index, and mobility scores. Results: The proportion of patients who experienced increased CIRS scores in the HA group was higher at the 3-month follow-up (p = 0.02) but similar at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.2) in comparison to the PFN group. Treatment with HA, American Society of Anesthesiologists scores of 3–4, and lower, preoperative ADL indexes were the major predictors of increased postoperative CIRS score. Impaired ambulatory ability and the need for walking aids were significantly higher in the PFN group at the 3-month follow-up (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively) but similar at the 6-month follow-up with respect to the HA group. PFN treatment and high patient body mass index were the major predictors of decreased ambulatory ability at postoperative 3 months. Conclusion: HA has several advantages, including early mobilization and decreased dependency. However, it is associated with greater blood loss, a higher need for blood transfusion, and longer surgical duration than PFN, all of which are predisposing factors for significantly higher risk of reduced CIRS scores. © The Author(s) 2019.