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Patient factors, not procedure, linked with major complications after surgery for femoral neck fracture
The risk of major postoperative complications after hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty for treatment of femoral neck fractures is influenced by patient factors, rather than choice of procedure, according to study results.
Researchers used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database to compare 30-day major complications and the need for perioperative transfusion between patients who underwent either total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hemiarthroplasty (HA) for femoral neck fracture. Patients who underwent THA for reasons other than femoral neck fracture were excluded, according to the study.
Investigators found 3,192 patients were treated with HA and 866 patients underwent THA. The analysis revealed THA was not an independent risk factor for 30-day major complications.
“After controlling for patient characteristics including age, comorbidities, preoperative laboratory values and operative variables using multivariate regression models, we found no increased odds of having a 30-day major complication between THA and HA,” the researchers wrote. However, after controlling for all other variables, THA was an independent risk factor for transfusion. – by Dan O’Neill
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.