Successful treatment for bilateral femoral neck insufficiency fractures: a rare lesion case report and an updated review of the literature

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020 Feb 14;21(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-3107-x.

Abstract

Background: The incidence of insufficiency fracture (IF) at femoral neck is low, accounting for about 5% of all insufficiency fractures, and IF at bilateral femoral neck is less common with more occurrence in athlete or serviceman. With the aging of populations, more cases of bilateral femoral neck IF have occurred recently, while the standard clinical treatment still remains lacking due to the complexity of these patients.

Case presentation: A 55-year-old male patient complained pain in his bilateral hip, with no history of trauma, glucocorticoid hormone consumption or radiotherapy, and imaging examination revealed fracture nonunion and shortening in his left femoral neck, and double fracture line on the right femoral neck. The patient received a cementless THA for the left femoral neck fracture and conservative treatment for the right side, followed by Elcatonin injection and oral administration of Carbonate D3 Granules. After 4 months of fellow-up, the patient presented improved functional scorings in bilateral hip joints, with no signs of prothesis infection or loosening.

Conclusion: We present a rare case of bilateral femoral neck IF in a middle-aged male and the treatment is successful. The timely CT and MRI examinations of bilateral hip joints for patients was necessary for orthopedists to select proper therapeutic regimen. In addition, the choice for therapeutic regimen of bilateral femoral IF should not only be based on the professional judgement of orthopedists, but also on the wishes of patients.

Keywords: Bilateral; Case report; Femoral neck fracture; Insufficiency fractures.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / methods*
  • Bone Screws
  • Calcitonin / administration & dosage
  • Calcitonin / analogs & derivatives
  • Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents / administration & dosage
  • Cholecalciferol / administration & dosage
  • Conservative Treatment
  • Female
  • Femoral Neck Fractures / diagnostic imaging
  • Femoral Neck Fractures / drug therapy
  • Femoral Neck Fractures / surgery*
  • Femur Neck / surgery
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fracture Fixation, Internal / methods
  • Fractures, Stress / diagnostic imaging
  • Fractures, Stress / drug therapy
  • Fractures, Stress / surgery*
  • Fractures, Ununited / diagnostic imaging
  • Fractures, Ununited / drug therapy
  • Fractures, Ununited / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents
  • Cholecalciferol
  • Calcitonin
  • elcatonin