To analyze the treatment results of late instability and dislocation of the hip following total hip arthroplasty.

The study refers to 16 patients from 42 to 71 years old when had primary THA. The mean time of late dislocation was 9,5 years and the revision mean time was 11 years following THA. In most patients extensive polyethylene wear was documented, in 12 patients the cup or the polyethylene insert on a stable metal implant was revised and in 4 patients new polytethylene cemented insert was placed in a stable metal implant. In all cases exchange of the femoral component metal head took place.

During follow up and re-evaluation 2–7 years after the revision there were 13 patients (81.25 %) with a stable THA and good function. Instability remained in three patients, which in 2 was resolved with re-revision of the cup whereas in the third (over aged) a special abduction brace was applied.

Late hip dislocation 5 or more years after THA occurs mainly due to extensive polyethylene wear and in contrast with early dislocation requires more often surgical intervention. The main cause of late hip dislocation was the extensive polyethylene wear, which in three cases was associated with prosthesis mal-orientation at primary implantation and in lots of cases with age-related neuromuscular deficit.

The treatment of late instability with repetitive dislocations requires surgical intervention. The revision might need exchange of cup or polyethylene insert on a stable metal implant or new polytethylene cemented insert on a stable metal implant.

INTRODUCTION: Cases of aseptic non-unions in patients with a femoral shaft fracture, who have initially been subjected to internal fixation by plating, are not rare. The aim of this retrospective, polycentric study was to evaluate intramedullary nailing as method of treatment of these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with aseptic femoral shaft non-union, after plating, were treated by reamed intramedullary nailing (IMN). The type of nailing was chosen according to the type of non-union. The mean follow-up time was 30 months and for statistical analysis, the student’s t-test was used.

RESULTS: All non-unions were healed in a mean time of 7.8 months (5–18) after nailing. The mean healing time after fracture was about 18.6 months (9–54). The healing times were irrelevant to whether the fracture was open or closed, the type non-union (atrophic or hypertrophic) and the type of fracture, according the AO classification. On the contrary, the delay from the initial plating to definitive treatment (IMN) affected the healing time and the final outcome, in a statistically significant way. Healing time was increased by 34.45% when the definitive operation was performed after between 8 and 16 months compared to the ones before the 8th month and by 72.28% if the IMN was delayed to between 16 and 24 months.

DISCUSSION: In conclusion IMN can be an ideal and cost effective method in treating patients with aseptic femoral non-union, after plating failure. This definitive operation should be performed as soon as the non-union is diagnosed in order to avoid unnecessary delay in fracture healing.

Aim: This paper presents the treatment of malunited fractures of tibia with intramedullary interlocking nail with correction of malunion, in order to prevent gait abnormalities and pathological loading of the adjacent joints. Method: We treated sixteen fractures of tibia that were treated initially with P.O.P. or external þxation and led to malunion or considered leading to malunion. In most patients there was combination of deformities with severe gait abnormality. In case of solid malunion the deformity was corrected after open osteotomy at the fracture site. In case of non solid malunion the deformity was corrected closed or semi-closed. Stabilization was achieved with interlocking intramedullary nailing. Fibular osteotomy was performed when needed. All patients were mobilized early. Results: All fractures healed without deformity and patients returned to their previous activities. Conclusion: Although intramedullary interlocking nailing is the treatment of choice for fractures of long bones its indication can be extended to malunited fractures. This method maintains stable correction of the deformity until union and allows early mobilization of the patient. It is easier to correct rotational or angular deformities than shortening.

Aims: The aim of this prospective study is to compare the results regarding non-union and AVN of two different methods of treatment after displaced femoral neck fractures in young and middle age population.

Methods: Between 1980–1998 we treated 91 patients with displaced femoral neck fractures. In 56 patients (Group A) we performed open reduction, dynamic screw fixation and gluteus minimus muscle pedicle bone graft from greater trochanter inserted through a tunnel prepared parallel to screw. 38 patients had fracture Type Garden III and 18 Garden IV. In 35 patients (Group B) after closed reduction the fracture was fixed with three parallel canullated screws. 24 had fracture Type Garden III and 11 Type IV. All patients were operated within 24 hours. After reduction, Garden Index of 1600±100/1800±100 was acceptable. Follow up varied between 3 to 12 years. Fischer’s Exact test was used to evaluate the results.

Results: 3 patients (5,4%) of Group A and 2 patients (5,7%) of Group B developed non-union. AVN was evident in 9 patients (17%) of Group A and in 6 patients (16,2%) of Group B.

Conclusions: Displaced intracapsular hip fractures are a challenge. Preservation of the femoral head should be the goal of treatment. The rate of non-union in the 2 groups (p:0, 942) as well that of AVN (p:0, 893) did not seem to differ statistically significally. The use of muscle pedicle bone graft did not seem to alter the incidence of complications. We believe that open reduction should be performed in fractures that cannot be reduced closed in younger patients.