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Study: Use less invasive approach for fixation following implant fracture
Stabilization of periprosthetic fractures should be performed with a minimally invasive, rather than a mini-open approach, according to researchers of this study.
The researchers used the NCB Plating System (Zimmer; Winterthur, Switzerland) with a polyaxial locking mechanism in 41 consecutive patients who had a periprosthetic, intraprosthetic or perinail fracture after total hip or total knee arthroplasty, according to the abstract. Surgery was performed using a mini-open (MO) approach in 22 cases and a minimally invasive (MI) approach in 19 cases.
“Periprosthetic fracture fixation can be performed as part of a standardized less invasive strategy, but the MI technique should be the preferred treatment,” the researchers stated in the abstract. “The NCB system allows for a stable plate fixation around an intramedullary implant. With the less invasive technique, long plates can be applied with low rates of soft-tissue complication and implant failure.”
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.