Purpose: The study is aimed at assessing the role of preoperative computerised tomography (CT) examination in the quality of reduction and outcomes in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture.
Methods: The elderly patients with an intertrochanteric fracture who were treated with proximal femoral nail antirotation were included. The patients were divided into the CT group and the no-CT group according to the presence of preoperative CT examination. Patients' baseline characteristics, quality of reduction, and function were recorded at follow-up. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Harris hip scores (HHS).
Results: Totally, the study included 182 patients with intertrochanteric fractures, with 85 in the CT group and 97 in the no-CT group, admitted between January 2018 and June 2019. There was no difference in the quality of reduction, HHS, the fracture healing, or postoperative complications between the CT group and the no-CT group. However, the CT group experienced the shorter mean operative time and blood transfusion, compared to the no-CT group.
Conclusions: The preoperative CT examination seems to be excessive for elderly patients with an intertrochanteric fracture.
Copyright © 2021 Tao Ma et al.