Hip arthroplasty for failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patient

Objective: To study the effective of arthroplasty for failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients.Methods: 13 cases（male 5 and female 8） of failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients were treated with hip arthroplasty.The average age was 79 years old（range 73-88 years old）.The average period from failed fixation was 11 months（range 6-15 months）.Primary fixation methods were PFN in 6 cases,DHS in 5 cases,and short reconstructive nail in 2 cases.All the patients felt pain in the affected limbs,had limited movement of the limbs and almost lost their walking ability.All the patients were treated with cemented artificial hip joints,10 with artificial femoral head and 3 with total hip joint.Results: All operations were successful.11 were followed up for 5 to 15 months,with an average of 9 months.They could walk with the cane or other walking aid.Conclusion: Hip arthroplasty is a salvage procedure and effective for the treatment of failed internal fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients.