Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Oct 18, 2024; 15(10): 997-1000
Published online Oct 18, 2024. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v15.i10.997
Conversion hip arthroplasty for failed nailing of intertrochanteric fracture: Reflections on some important aspects
Fu-Chun Yang
Fu-Chun Yang, Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: There is only one author.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Fu-Chun Yang, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. yangfuch89@163.com
Received: May 26, 2024
Revised: September 3, 2024
Accepted: September 12, 2024
Published online: October 18, 2024
Processing time: 137 Days and 15.5 Hours
Abstract

In this editorial, I present my comments on the article by Solarino et al. Conversion hip arthroplasty, which is an optional salvage procedure performed following unsuccessful fixation of intertrochanteric femur fractures in elderly patients, entails more complex processes and higher rates of operative complications than primary arthroplasty. Hence, it is important to consider the appropriateness of the primary treatment choice, as well as the adequacy of nailing fixation for intertrochanteric fractures. This article briefly analyzes the possible factors contributing to the nailing failure of intertrochanteric fractures and attempts to find corresponding countermeasures to prevent fixation failures. It also analyzes the choice of treatment between nailing fixation and primary arthroplasty for intertrochanteric fractures.

Keywords: Intertrochanteric femur fracture; Femoral nailing fixation; Primary hip arthroplasty; Conversion hip arthroplasty; Failed internal fixation; Treatment reflection

Core Tip: As a complex salvage procedure following the failed nailing of intertrochanteric femur fractures, conversion hip arthroplasty calls for reflections on the primary treatment of these fractures, including the choice of treatment approaches; however, the most important of these considerations are the reasons leading to failed nailing fixation and the measures that can be taken to prevent the failure.