Uppsala screws or Hansson pins for internal fixation of femoral neck fractures? A prospective study of 180 cases

Abstract

In a prospective randomized trial, two methods of internal fixation of femoral neck fractures were compared. Totally, 179 patients with 180 fractures were treated with either two Uppsala screws (n 96) or two Hansson pins (n 84). In all, 130 fractures were primarily displaced (Garden stages III and IV), whereas 88 percent of the fractures in both groups were well reduced. The patients were followed clinically and radiographically for 1 year. Thirty-six patients died within 12 months after the operation. The functional results and the incidence of segmental collapse and nonunion did not differ between the groups. However, at the 4-month follow-up, 2 of 59 of the Garden's stages III and IV in the Uppsala-screw group were found displaced, whereas the corresponding result in the Hansson-pin group was 9 of 52 (P = 0.03).