Effectiveness of treatment of transtrochanteric fractures with Dynamic Hip Screws using minimally invasive access

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the short-term results from treating unstable intertrochanteric fractures with Dynamic Hip Screws (DHS), using a minimally invasive route, focusing on the functional aspects and complication and mortality rates of the method. METHODS: This was a prospective longitudinal study on 140 patients who underwent fixation of transtrochanteric fractures with the DHS system with a lateral minimally invasive access in the hip, between January and December 2013. The patients were evaluated pre and postoperatively (after six months of follow-up) by means of the Parker and Palmer mobility score. Women comprised 65.7% of the sample, and 54.3% of the fractures were on the right side. The patients' mean age was 80 years, ranging from 60 to 93 years. RESULTS: We observed an overall decrease in the mobility score and an increase in the degree of dependence over the short term. However, we encountered only two deaths in the study sample and there were no cases of infection or nonunion. CONCLUSION: Despite the efficacy of the treatment with DHS, with high rates of fracture consolidation and a low mortality rate, we noted that the patients still showed significant functional limitation at the follow-up six months after the operation.