Surgical Dislocation or the Modified Heuter Anterior Approach for Pipkin I and II Femoral Head Fracture Dislocations

Objectives: To compare outcomes after surgical treatment of Pipkin I and II femoral head fractures treated with either a surgical dislocation (SD) or a direct anterior approach (the modified Heuter approach). Study Design: Retrospective, multicentre. Setting: Three Level I trauma care centers. Patients: Fourty-nine patients operated for Pipkin types I or II femoral head fractures. Twenty-seven using SD and 22 using the modified Heuter approach. Interventions: Initial closed reduction of the joint followed by open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture/fragment excision. Fixation was performed using headless or countersunk mini fragment screws. Outcome Measurements: The 2 groups were compared for (1) perioperative measures: blood loss, surgical time, pain [visual analog scale (VAS)], and length of hospital stay; (2) radiological outcome in terms of fracture union, occurrence of posttraumatic hip arthritis, and femoral head osteonecrosis; and (3) functional outcome using the modified Merle d' Aubigne score and Oxford hip scores. Results: Surgical time, blood loss, and VAS at 24 hours were significantly lower in the modified Heuter group. The VAS at discharge and length of stay were similar in both groups. All fractures had united. No cases of osteonecrosis were observed. Functional outcome and complications were similar in both groups. Conclusions: Both SD and the modified Heuter approach are effective in treating patients with Pipkin I and II femoral head fractures with comparable radiological and functional outcomes.