Abstract
Endoprosthetic replacement has gained an accepted place in the management of the neck fracture of femur in the elderly and those with failed previous internal fixation in which any further attempt to attain osteosynthesis is often doomed to failure. Total 37 cases of femoral head replacement, which had been done at several medical institutes in Honam area during the past six years from January of 1964, could be reviewed. The results were summerized as follows: 1. Thirty-seven patients were comprised of 11 men and 26 women. 2. Their average age was 68 years old and 28 (76%) of them were over 60 years of age. 3. Primary replacement surgery was done in 26 cases, which included displaced fresh facture (14), neglected fracture (10), and pathological fracture (2). Secondary replacement was performed in 11 cases, in which were failed reduction (6), nonunion (2) and avascular necrosis after initial internal fixation (3). 4. The prosthesis inserted was the Austin Moore type with fenestration in 12 cases and the Thompson type in 25. 5. Associated general disease, a total of 23 in number, could be diagnosed in 18 of them all. These included senlle psychosis (5), hypertension (5), diabetes mellitus (4), asthma (3), hemiparesis (2), cardiac disease (2), and tumor (2). 6. No grave complication was experienced. Durlng the hospitalization, however, there were superficial wound infection in four, large hematoma in two, trochanteric fracture, transient sciatic palsy and temporay mental confusion in one respectively. 7. At the time of follow-up, average 2.2 years and all over six months postoperatively, the results in 23 cases were excellent or good in 19, fair in two, and poor in two.