Introduction: The appropriate surgical timing for the treatment of proximal femur fractures is still debated. Advantages of a delayed surgery may be: stabilization of systemic diseases, decrease of the risk of perioperative mortality and morbidity. An early timing of surgery may allow: early mobilization, reduction of the risks of disability and hospital stays, early return to home of the patients. However, the effects on mortality are still discussed.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of the surgical timing on clinical outcomes, complications, and mortality in a preliminary experience of the early management of these fractures vs the delayed surgery.
Methods: A series of 176 patients was retrospectively evaluated. 132 patients were followed-up for one year after surgery. The evaluation was performed by the assessment of the comorbidities, preoperative wait for surgery, type of fracture and procedures, hospital stay, and functional outcomes: 33 patients were operated with an early timing, 99 with a delayed surgery.
Results: The mean mortality rate was 18.2% in the early timing (6/33 patients), and 23.2% in the delayed timing (23/99 patients): no significant difference was recorded in the preliminary analysis. Postoperative complications were recorded in 28 patients (21.2%): 4 patients were operated within 48 hours (12.1%) and 24 after 48 hours (24.2%) with no substantial differences. The postoperative hospital stay showed no correlation with the timing of surgery, as no evidence was found on the functional recovery and postoperative disability.
Conclusions: No significant differences were found on the evaluated parameters in the two groups in the present preliminary study. A correlation between male sex and mortality, and male sex and postoperative complications was assessed. An enlargement of the study population is needed to surely clarify any effective differences, given the fact that recent studies seem to identify in the early treatment the better strategy to ensure the best recovery and the lower rate of mortality and complications.
Keywords: proximal femur fractures; timing of surgery.