JOURNAL ARTICLE
MULTICENTER STUDY
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Is Disuse Osteopenia a Favorable Prognostic Sign After Femoral Neck Fracture?

OBJECTIVES: Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a devastating complication following fixation of femoral neck fractures in younger adults. In this study, we investigate the prognostic utility of disuse osteopenia.

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

SETTING: Three academic Level 1 trauma centers.

PATIENTS: One hundred twenty patients younger than 60 years treated for a femoral neck fracture.

INTERVENTION: N/A.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of sclerosis or osteopenia, compared to the contralateral femoral head, was measured 6 weeks from injury both subjectively and using a novel radiographic measure, the relative density ratio (RDR). The outcome measure was radiographic development of AVN.

RESULTS: The presence of relative sclerosis was associated with AVN and overall treatment failure. Patients with subjective relative sclerosis had a 12.6 (95% confidence interval, 2.9-61.3; P < 0.001) times higher odds of developing AVN. Multiple logistic regression showed that for every 0.10 increase in the RDR, there was a 5.2 increase in the odds (95% confidence interval, 2.1-26.9; P = 0.009) of developing AVN. Patients with an RDR of ≥1.2 have an 80% probability of AVN, whereas those with an RDR ≤0.8 have a <1% probability of developing AVN.

CONCLUSIONS: Disuse osteopenia detected on 6-week radiographs is a favorable prognostic sign following fixation of femoral neck fractures. Patients who have relative sclerosis of the femoral head at 6-week follow-up are at a higher risk of developing AVN.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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