OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect between Gamma nail and proximal femoral nail (PFN) on the treatment for femoral intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.METHODS: A total of 131 cases (39 males and 92 females; aged 70?81 years, mean age of 76 years) with femoral intertrochanteric fractures were collected from the Department of Orthopaedics, the Affiliated Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from January 2005 to January 2008. Femoral intertrochanteric fractures were classified based on AO system, including type A1 (n=56) and type A2 (n=75). All cases were randomly divided into Gamma nail group (n=65) and PFN group (n=66). Pre- and post-operative blood loss, blood transfusion volume, operating time, and length of stay were recorded, while the complications were detected following nail implantation. Functional changes of injured limbs were detected after 9 months.RESULTS: At 9 months after following up, there was no significant difference in blood loss, blood transfusion volume, operating time, and length of stay between the two groups before and after implantation (P> 0.05). Furthermore, complications did not occur during or after implantation. Six cases in the PFN group had infection in which of them had diabetes mellitus. There were no complications such as cutting out of femoral head, femoral shaft fractures, breakage of internal device or pushing out phenomenon. All cases got bone union at the final follow-up of nine months and did not get nonunion, delayed union of fractures or shortening of injured extremity.CONCLUSION: Gamma nail and PFN have equal effect on the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly.

Due to the aging population in China, the occurrence of osteoporotic fractures is surging. Osteoporotic fractures around the joints like wrist, hip or knee are usually more sophisticated, compared with those in vertebrae, causing more challenges in treatment and rehabilitation. When dealing with these cases, orthopedic surgeons should pay attention to systematic anti-osteoporosis therapy including medications like calcium supplement and bone metabolic regulation drugs. In addition, the bone quality of the patients and the implant stability should be considered during surgical procedures. Besides, the patients need to be guided to participate in early motions and weight-bearing exercises to gain better function and satisfactory recovery. The authors focus on the issues and strategies of anti-osteoporosis management, surgery protocol, early rehabilitation as well as long-term follow-up and prevention of the patients with periarticular osteoporotic fractures so as to provide references for clinical practices.

Objective:To compare the clinical results of modified posterolateral approach combined medial approach versus traditional posterolateral approach combined with medial approach in open reduction and internal fixation of trimalleolar ankle fracture.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 46 patients with trimalleolar ankle fracture admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Military Medical University from June 2013 to June 2019, including 14 males and 32 females, at age of 19-71 years [(49.2±14.9)years]. There were 33 patients with supination-external rotation type IV ankle fracture and 13 with pronation-external rotation type IV ankle fracture according to Lauge-Hansen classification. Open reduction and internal fixation was performed through the modified posterolateral approach combined with medial approach in 25 patients (modified approach group), and through the traditional posterolateral approach combined with medial approach in 21 patients (traditional approach group). The visual analogue score (VAS) at 3 days and 1 week after surgery, fracture healing time, range of ankle flexion and extension and Baird-Jackson score at the final follow-up and postoperative complications (numbness of the affect limb, wound necrosis, etc.) were compared between the two groups.Results:All patients were followed up for 11-21 months [(14.8±2.2)months]. There was no statistical difference in VAS or fracture healing time at 3 days after surgery between the two groups (all P>0.05). The VAS was 3.0 (3.0, 4.0)points in modified approach group at 1 week after surgery, significantly lower than 4.0 (3.0, 5.0)points in traditional approach group ( P<0.05). At the final follow-up, there was no statistical difference in range of ankle plantarflexion between the two groups ( P>0.05), but range of ankle dorsiflexion was significantly greater in modified approach group [(11.8±2.8)°] than that in traditional approach group [(8.1±3.5)°] ( P<0.01). At the final follow-up, Baird-Jackson score was not statistically different between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were 4 patients with numbness and 2 with wound necrosis in traditional approach group, but no numbness or wound necrosis occurred in modified approach group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Both the modified posterolateral approach combined with medial approach and traditional posterolateral approach combined with medial approach can achieve good clinical results in open reduction and internal fixation of trimalleolar ankle fractures, but the former has advantages of better pain relief, better recovery of ankle dorsiflexion and less complications.