Femoral neck non-union treatment by valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy

OBJECTIVE: : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy in femoral neck non-union. METHODS: : Forty-two patients with femoral neck fractures with non-union treated using Pauwels' intertrochanteric osteotomy were reviewed. Demographics, time elapsed between fracture and surgery, follow--up, osteosynthesis used, Garden's classification, limb shortening, and x-rays were evaluated. RESULTS: : Twenty-two men and 20 women were reviewed. The youngest patient was 18 years old and the oldest 65 years old, with a mean age of 42.4 years (±11.2). The minimum follow-up was 2 years, with a mean of 10.2 years. The average time elapsed between initial fracture and osteotomy was 6.5 months. Twel-ve cases were neglected femoral neck fractures. Nineteen patients were classified as Garden III, and 23 patients as Garden IV. After valgus osteotomy, non-union healing was observed in 38 patients (38/42; 90.4%). Healing of thirty-seven cases of pseudoarthrosis were obtained after the first-attempt osteotomy, and one case required two operations for healing. The osteotomy failed in four cases. Conside-ring the healed osteotomies, good to excellent functional results were achieved in 80.9% (34/42) of the patients. Total hip replacement was subsequently performed in 14.2% (6/42) of the patients for unfavoura-ble outcomes (two for cutting out, two for osteonecrosis, and two for osteoarthritis). CONCLUSIONS: : Valgus intertrochanteric osteotomy has a high success rate in archiving healing in femoral neck non-union with good functional results. It is a biological and effective method. Level of Evidence IV, Therapeutic Study.