Objective To investigate the effectiveness of using 3 hollow compression screws combined with 1 screw off-axis fixation under the guidance of three-dimensional (3D) printed guide plate with mortise-tenon joint structure (mortise-tenon joint plate) for the treatment of Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fractures. Methods A clinical data of 78 patients with Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fractures, who were admitted between August 2022 and August 2023 and met the selection criteria, was retrospectively analyzed. The operations were assisted with mortise-tenon joint plates in 26 cases (mortise-tenon joint plate group) and traditional guide plates in 28 cases (traditional plate group), and without guide plates in 24 cases (control group). There was no significant difference in the baseline data of gender, age, body mass index, cause of injury, and fracture side between groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy, incision length, incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis of lower extremity, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 1 week after operation, and Harris score of hip joint at 3 months after operation were recorded and compared. X-ray re-examination was taken to check the quality of fracture reduction, fracture healing, and the shortening length of the femoral neck at 3 months after operation, and the incidences of internal fixation failure and osteonecrosis of the femoral head during operation. Results Compared with the control group, the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy reduced in the two plate groups, and the quality of fracture reduction was better, but the incision was longer, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were significantly higher in the traditional plate group than in the mortise-tenon joint plate group (P<0.05), the incision was significantly longer (P<0.05); and the difference in fracture reduction quality and the frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy was not significant between two plate groups (P>0.05). There was 1 case of deep vein thrombosis of lower extremity in the traditional plate group and 1 case in the control group, while there was no thrombosis in the mortise-tenon joint plate group. There was no significant difference in the incidence between groups (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 12-15 months (mean, 13 months). There was no significant difference in VAS score at 1 week and Harris score at 3 months between groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the fracture healing time and the length of femoral neck shortening at 3 months after operation were significantly shorter in the two plate groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two plate groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidences of non-union fractures, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, or internal fixation failure between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion For Pauwels type Ⅲ femoral neck fractures, the use of 3D printed guide plate assisted reduction and fixation can shorten the fracture healing time, reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, and be more conducive to the early functional exercise of the affected limb. Compared with the traditional guide plate, the mortise-tenon joint plate can reduce the intraoperative bleeding and shorten the operation time.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the short-term effectiveness of a visual treatment solution (VTS)-assisted total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with Crowe type Ⅲ-Ⅳ developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 43 patients with Crowe type Ⅲ-Ⅳ DDH who were treated between June 2023 and December 2024 and met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 22 patients underwent conventional THA (traditional group), and 21 underwent VTS-assisted THA (VTS group). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the two groups in baseline data, including gender, age, side, Crowe classification, preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, or Harris score. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. Functional recovery and pain relief were assessed using the Harris score preoperatively and at 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively, as well as the VAS score preoperatively and at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively. The acetabular cup anteversion and abduction angles were measured, and cup position was assessed with reference to the Lewinnek safe zone. Limb length discrepancy was measured, and acetabular coverage as well as the matching rates between the preoperatively planned and actually implanted prosthesis sizes were calculated. ResultsThe operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative drainage volume were all significantly lower in the VTS group than in the traditional group (P<0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in length of hospital stay (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 6-9 months, with a mean time of 7.4 months. Primary wound healing was achieved in both groups, and no poor wound healing or neurovascular injury occurred. Deep venous thrombosis developed in 2 patients in the VTS group and 4 patients in the traditional group; 1 patient in the traditional group experienced prosthetic dislocation. No other complication, including dislocation or thrombosis, was observed during follow-up. There was no significant difference in the overall complication incidence between the two groups (P>0.05). In both groups, acetabular anteversion and abduction angles were within the Lewinnek safe zone, but their distributions were more concentrated in the VTS group than in the traditional group. Compared with the traditional group, the VTS group showed significantly smaller postoperative limb length discrepancy and significantly greater anteversion angle and acetabular coverage (P<0.05). No significant difference was found between the two groups in abduction angle, acetabular prosthesis matching rate, or femoral stem prosthesis matching rate (P>0.05). Harris scores at 3 and 6 months postoperatively and VAS scores at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively were significantly better in the VTS group than in the traditional group (P<0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed at the other time points (P>0.05). ConclusionVTS-assisted THA for Crowe type Ⅲ-Ⅳ DDH yields favorable short-term effectiveness by improving implant positioning accuracy, reducing surgical trauma, and promoting early pain relief and functional recovery.