Atraumatic Bilateral Fracture of the Femoral Neck in Young Male Patient with Suspected Osteomalacia

Energy, Waves, and Forces in Bilateral Fracture of the Femoral Necks: Two Case Presentations and Updated Critical Review

Two case reports and an updated critical review on bilateral fractures of the femoral neck are presented. Bilateral fractures of the femoral neck have been investigated for at least 80 years and are treated as rare cases. The primary cause is usually considered an external shock; however, aside from high energy shocks (e.g., falling and impact with hard, rigid surfaces, traffic accidents, etc.) the underlying causes of femoral neck frailty have not yet been fully understood. Although not exhaustive, the review spans cases reported as early as 1944 and compares their conclusions in line with medicine developments at the time of the reports until present. The discussion is perhaps controversial at times; it brings to the fore the energy balance between shock waves and stress waves. The two cases reported here add to the review, one highlighting the biomechanics, and the other supporting more recent findings on metabolic disorders, which ultimately lead to enhanced frailty of the femoral neck. Investigation of the fractures has been performed with X-ray radiographs, MRI, and CT, with a follow up using a Doppler US to check blood flow in the lower zone of the limbs. The second case was investigated both for fractures and metabolic diseases, e.g., type I diabetes and kidney failure (dialysis). In Case 1 the second fracture was not observable at the time of admission, and therefore two surgery operations were performed at seven days interval. Taperloc Complete prostheses (Zimmer Biomet) were applied. Case 2 suffered a second fracture in the right hip in the segment above the knee and required better fixation with cables. Despite this, she returned one month later with a new crack in the femur. Case 1 is a typical case of wear consequences on the biomechanics of the hill pad-tibia-femur-femoral neck system, where tension of the neck occurred due to a stress wave rather than a shock wave. This can be proven by the absence of a second fracture from the images first acquired, the only evidence being pain and walking difficulty. Case 2 shows that metabolic diseases can dramatically enhance the frequency of bilateral femoral neck fractures.

Spontaneous bilateral femur neck fracture secondary to grand mal seizure: A case report

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous bilateral femur neck fracture is a rare entity in the general population.

CASE SUMMARY

A 17-year-old immobile, developmentally delayed male with the sequelae of cerebral palsy fractured both femoral necks during a grand mal epileptic seizure. He had been treated with valproic acid as an antiseizure medication for about 10 years; otherwise, he had no history of drug use. The laboratory analysis was normal except a marked vitamin D deficiency. Closed reduction and osteosynthesis with percutaneous cannulated screws were performed. Solid union was observed at 6 mo, and rapid postoperative rehabilitation was started.

CONCLUSION

A femoral neck fracture may occur in a person with epilepsy presenting with hip pain in the emergency department.

Bilateral Neck of Femur Fracture in a Child With Underlying Vitamin D Deficiency: A Case Report on Management and 10-Year Follow-Up

Bilateral femoral neck fracture is a rare entity in the pediatric age group. These types of fractures occur mostly due to high-velocity trauma. We report the surgical outcome with approximately 10 years of follow-up in a 10-year-old child presenting with bilateral femoral neck fracture after trivial trauma and underlying nutritional vitamin D deficiency. A 10-year-old female child with bilateral neglected fracture neck of femur was managed with a primary valgus osteotomy done on the left side and closed reduction and screw fixation with fibular grafting done on the right side. Later on, as the right side fracture progressed to non-union, it was converted to valgus osteotomy fixed with an external fixator. The patient had a good functional outcome at 10 years of follow-up with no difficulty in her day-to-day activities. Pathological bilateral fracture neck of femur is rare in children and it is often mismanaged due to a delayed diagnosis. It can have potentially dangerous complications with a grave outcome affecting the rest of the life of the child. Hence it is important to know about such rare presentations so that they can be adequately addressed early on, thereby minimizing the risk of complications like non-union and avascular necrosis.

Femoral Neck Stress Fractures in South Korean Male Military Recruits

Backgroud

Femoral neck stress fractures (FNSFs) are rare but potentially disabling injuries if the diagnosis is missed or delayed and proper treatment is not provided. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe the characteristics and clinical course of FNSFs in South Korean male military recruits.

Methods

Between May 2015 and October 2019, 16 fractures in 12 young male military recruits were reviewed. The characteristics of the fractures were ascertained by detailed analysis of the history and clinical course, as well as radiographs, bone scintigrams, and magnetic resonance images.

Results

The median duration between endurance training and the development of hip pain was 5 weeks, while the median duration of pain before the patient sought medical attention was 3 weeks. Four patients (33.3%) exhibited bilateral fractures, and concomitant lesions involving the proximal tibia were found in 3 patients (25%). Fourteen of the 16 fractures (87.5%) were compression-type fractures, and surgery was performed for 7 hips. Complete union without malunion or osteonecrosis was achieved in all cases, and all cadets returned to their full activity levels in an average of 10 weeks.

Conclusions

We observed excellent prognosis of FNSFs. Our report highlights the importance of early reporting, detection, and treatment regarding the challenging management of FNSFs. When a military recruit reports hip pain, a FNSF should be considered; furthermore, the bilaterality of the fracture and the presence of concomitant lesions should also be investigated.

A Simple Percutaneous Technique to Reduce Valgus-Impacted Femoral Neck Fractures

The mainstream surgery for valgus-impacted femoral neck fractures (FNFs) is closed reduction and internal fixation under fluoroscopy. However, femoral neck shortening and anterior femoroacetabular impingement are common complications in healed valgus-impacted FNFs after in situ fixation. Some methods have been reported to prevent complications, but these techniques require the use of a transfixing guide wire that passes through the femoral head, which may cause articular cartilage damage. We introduce a simple reduction technique using one Steinmann pin (S-pin) for valgus-impacted FNFs without any interference of the femur head. A S-pin was placed percutaneously at the inferomedial margin of the fracture, and reduction was achieved by applying manual valgus force along the fracture line. By restoring the anatomical alignment, we confirmed the maximum contact area of the fracture and connection of the medial cortical buttress, so the risk of nonunion was also minimized.

Simultaneous Bilateral Neck of Femur Fracture in a Young Adult with Underlying Metabolic Disturbances

Introduction. Simultaneous bilateral fractures of the femoral neck are considered very rare injuries. Few cases were reported in the literature. Most cases were reported in elderly patients with underlying bone pathology. Case Report. We report a case of a 31-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with bilateral hip pain and inability to bear weight after a sudden loss of consciousness and fall while running on a treadmill. The patient had a recent history of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, and other supplements used for bodybuilding. Radiological studies confirmed bilateral neck of femur fracture. Laboratory investigations revealed pan-pituitary axis insufficiency and mild vitamin D deficiency, and his EEG suggested a seizure attack. The patient was treated with three 6.5 mm cannulated cancellous screws on one side and a sliding hip screw on the other side and was followed with strict physical therapy and rehabilitation plan. 6 months from the injury, a radiographic bilateral union achieved with the patient back to his normal daily activity and noncontact sports.