Common complications in hip fracture surgery: Tips/tricks and solutions to avoid them

Injury. 2015 Nov:46 Suppl 5:S3-11. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2015.08.006. Epub 2015 Aug 19.

Abstract

Surgical management of hip fractures in elderly people is challenging and complications relating to surgery could be devastating. They often lead to reoperation and revision surgery and can be associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality. The most common surgical complications after internal fixation of hip fractures include cut-out, nonunion, Z-effect/medial migration, periimplant failure and avascular necrosis. High quality surgical fixation is of outmost importance to avoid surgical complications. This article presents the aetiology, risk factors and incidence of perioperative and post-fracture fixation complications. Technical tips and tricks for a successful fixation as well as the contemporary evidence surrounding the augmentation of osteoporotic bone fixation in internal fixation of hip fractures are discussed.

Keywords: Complications; Elderly; Hip fractures; Surgical fixation.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / adverse effects*
  • Female
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal / adverse effects*
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal / methods
  • Fracture Healing
  • Hip Fractures / physiopathology
  • Hip Fractures / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications / etiology
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control*
  • Postoperative Complications / surgery
  • Prosthesis Failure / etiology
  • Reoperation
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome