The Telescoping Hip Plate for Treatment of Femoral Neck Fracture: Design Rationale, Surgical Technique and Early Results

Recent estimates suggest an annual incidence of greater than 125,000 femoral neck fractures. Surgical treatment is indicated for the majority of these fractures, which are estimated to double by the year 2050. Most displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients are treated with arthroplasty secondary to high complication rates associated with internal fixation. Traditional implants used for internal fixation, typically in elderly patients with stable fracture morphology and younger patients regardless of morphology, include the sliding hip screw (SHS), with or without a supplemental anti-rotation screw, and multiple cancellous lag screws. Complications have been reported with both of these fixation techniques, especially as they apply to treating displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly. Yet, complications of nonunion, loss of fixation and osteonecrosis, among others, still frequently occur in stable patterns of femoral neck fracture treated with internal fixation. Accordingly, additional implants have been designed recently to improve outcomes and avoid such complications in this population. The Targon Femoral Neck Plate (Aesculap, Tuttlinger, Germany) has been used in Europe for the treatment of both displaced and nondisplaced femoral neck fractures by combining a side plate and multiple cancellous lag screws. Multiple studies have shown superior rates of both nonunion and osteonecrosis when compared to the SHS and multiple cancellous screws in both displaced and nondisplaced femoral neck fractures. This article details the design rationale, surgical technique and early postoperative results of a new hybrid implant used for the treatment of both displaced and nondisplaced femoral neck fractures.