Treatment of femoral neck nonunions with a sliding compression screw: comparison with and without subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy

BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate and compare the results of treatment of femoral neck nonunions using a sliding compression screw (SCS) with and without subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy (SVO). METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients with femoral neck nonunions, which sustained no osteonecrosis of the femoral head based on bone scan study, were prospectively treated with SCS with (21 patients) or without (11 patients) SVO. The indication for SCS with SVO was a femoral neck nonunion with leg shortening of more than 1.5 cm. SCS without SVO was for leg shortening of less than 1.5 cm. RESULTS: Seventeen patients with osteotomy and nine patients without osteotomy were followed for at least 2 years (range, 2-8 years). All femoral neck fractures healed, with a union period of 4.6+/-1.0 months (95% confidence interval, 4.1-5.1 months) for osteotomy cases and 4.6+/-1.1 months (95% confidence interval, 3.8-5.4 months) for nonosteotomy cases (p = 0.83). However, in the osteotomy group, two patients sustained osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and nonunion remained in 1 patient at the osteotomy site (complication rate, 18%; 3 of 17 patients). There were no complications in the nonosteotomy group (p = 0.26). The average lengthening achieved from osteotomy was 1.0 to 1.5 cm (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Using SCS without SVO to treat femoral neck nonunions can result in a very satisfactory outcome. It is thus preferred for indicated patients. SCS without SVO, however, cannot concomitantly correct a femoral neck shortening; furthermore, shortening may deteriorate because of a telescoping effect. For patients with evident shortening, therefore, combined SVO with SCS is more suitable.