Static Helical Screw Locking of Pertrochanteric Femur Fractures Using the TFN-A
- Conditions
- Pertrochanteric Fracture
- Interventions
- Procedure: Static LockingProcedure: Dynamic Rotational Locking
- Registration Number
- NCT04851509
- Lead Sponsor
- Fraser Orthopaedic Research Society
- Brief Summary
The study will investigate the shortening and collapse of pertrochanteric fractures following surgical management with the TFN-Advanced nailing system. The focus will be on comparing radiographic assessments of nails which have been statically locked versus dynamically locked. This is a randomized control study with the initial invention being randomized to either statically locking or dynamically locking. For a two-month period, all eligible patients will receive the randomized allocated treatment, then treatment will switch to the alternate treatment for the next two months and will continue to alternate treatments for two-month periods until study enrollment has completed.
- Detailed Description
Hip fractures are common injuries in the elderly population that result in significant morbidity and mortality and a significant burden on health care systems. Hip fractures can be treated with arthroplasty or with internal fixation, depending on the fracture pattern. Cephalomedullary nailing (CMN) has become one of the established treatments for intertrochanteric hip fractures with a wide variety of implant designs from many different companies. The TFN-ADVANCED™ Proximal femoral nailing system (TFN-A) is a novel implant for treating intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric proximal femur fractures with a paucity of published literature on the performance of this implant.
A method to decrease the amount of fracture compression is to use the set screw to lock the screw "statically" so it does not slide to the same degree as if the screw is placed in the "dynamic" or sliding position. To the knowledge of the investigators, the role of statically locking the screw to prevent fracture collapse has not been studied. Statically locking CMN to treat hip fractures has become standard of care at the Royal Columbian Hospital with all the investigating surgeons having adopted this practice in an attempt to prevent significant fracture collapse and neck shortening. Anecdotally, the investigators have not seen significant rates of cephalic screw cut-out over the past five years, and believe the investigators' screw cut-out rates are lower than what is reported in the literature. The investigators have been using the Gamma Nail (Stryker) to statically lock the screw as the previous TFN lacked the ability for static locking. However, with the advent of the TFN-A, the investigators have adopted this implant as their long cephalomedullary nail of choice for fixation of pertrochanteric femur fractures.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 218
- Patients >18 years of age
- AO/OTA 31-A fractures who the surgeon deems eligible for treatment with a cephalomedullary nail
- Open and closed fractures
- Ambulatory prior to injury (with or without walking aides)
- Native (non-fractured, no implant) contralateral hip
- Willing and able to sign consent (substitute decision maker)
- Contralateral hip fracture or hip arthroplasty
- Fracture not amenable to treatment with a cephalomedullary nail
- Non-ambulatory patient
- Fractures >14 days (time of injury to OR)
- Bilateral pertrochanteric hip fractures
- Non-unions
- Pathologic fractures
- Periprosthetic fractures
- Patients with spinal injury
- Incarceration
- Pregnancy
- Limited life expectancy due to significant medical co-morbidities or medical contra-indications to surgery
- Likely problems, in the judgement of the investigators, with maintaining follow-up (i.e., patients with no fixed address, report a plan to move out of town, or intellectually challenged patients without adequate family support).
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Static locking Static Locking Using a fracture table, the affected leg will be placed into traction and the patient will be prepped and draped in the usual fashion. The fracture will be provisionally reduced using closed techniques. A 3cm incision will be used to gain access to the intramedullary canal and the nail (either a short nail or long nail, at the discretion of the treating surgeon) will be introduced to the femur. The screw will be placed across the fracture and into the femoral head, aiming for a tip-to-apex distance of less than 25mm. The compression nut will be used to compress the fracture. The screw will then be statically locked using the 6Nm torque-limiting blue handle with 6mm hex coupling to completely lock the set screw down on the helical screw. Dynamic rotational locking Dynamic Rotational Locking Using a fracture table, the affected leg will be placed into traction and the patient will be prepped and draped in the usual fashion. The fracture will be provisionally reduced using closed techniques. A 3cm incision will be used to gain access to the intramedullary canal and the nail (either a short nail or long nail, at the discretion of the treating surgeon) will be introduced to the femur. The screw will be placed across the fracture and into the femoral head, aiming for a tip-to-apex distance less than 25mm. The compression nut will be used to compress the fracture. The screw will be rotationally locked by using the 5mm hex flexible screwdriver by advancing the set screw until it stops completely. The screw will then be turned counterclockwise by a ½ turn.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Radiographic Assessment 12 months post treatment The primary objective of this study will be to investigate how statically locking the TFN-A influences shortening or collapse of pertrochanteric fractures by measuring radiographic shortening or collapse of pertrochanteric fractures treated with the TFN-A implant.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Fracture Reduction Quality Intra-operatively Assessed through x-rays of the entire proximal femur
Femoral Offset 1 day post-op, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months Measured in a method described by O. Paul et al
Tip-Apex distance 1 day post-op, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months Measured as described by Baumgaertner et al
Complications intra-operatively, 1 day post-op, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months SAEs/AEs
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Royal Columbian Hospital/Fraser Health Authority
🇨🇦New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada