Study Finds Low Hip Bone Mineral Density Does Not Lead to Implant Failure

In patients with femoral neck fracture who are treated with internal fixation, researchers found no association between low hip bone mineral density and fixation failure, according to results of a recently published study.

Researchers performed a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan of the hip in 140 consecutive patients treated with internal fixation and evaluated the radiographs for fracture displacement, implant positioning and quality of reduction. Two variables for comorbidity and walking disability were chosen from a questionnaire completed during admission.

Primary outcome included low hip bone mineral density compared to hip fracture. Researchers applied a stratified Cox regression model on fracture displacement and adjusted for age, gender, quality of reduction, implant positioning, comorbidity and walking disability.

Overall, 49 patients had a T-score less than -2.5 and 70 patients experienced a failure. At two-year follow up, researchers found a failure rate of 22 percent for the undisplaced fractures and 66 percent for the displaced fractures. Cox regression showed no association between low hip bone mineral density and failure and only implant positioning had an association with failure for covariates.