HUACemented Versus Uncemented Arthroplasty in Elderly Patients With Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Femoral neck fracture is a common cause of suffering and premature mortality among the elderly. Riskfactors for femoral neck fractures are age, gender, osteoporosis and cognitive dysfunction. Mortality and morbidity varies between undisplaced and displaced femoral neck fractures. Different treatment options are available: reduction and internal fixation vs joint replacement (arthroplasty). The treatment of undisplaced femoral neck fractures is uncontroversial and consists of internal fixation with screws. The treatment of displaced, femoral neck fractures with internal fixation shows unacceptable results with complications rates leading to reoperation between 40-60%. Treatment of these fractures with arthroplasties has therefore become the standard treatment in industrial countries. Fixation of the femoral component with bone-cement is standard procedure in Europe today. To avoid negative cardio-pulmonary events in patients with serious comorbidities and in very old and frail patients uncemented femoral components or internal fixation are used. These uncemented stems are mostly older design with poor track records. The use of modern, well-documented stems used in an osteoarthritis population for fracture patients has still to be tested.