title: A biomechanical study of femoral neck fracture fixation with the VHS Vari-Angle Hip Fixation System.
abstract: Femoral neck fracture fixation with a new device, the VHS Vari-Angle Hip Fixation System (Biomet Orthopaedics Inc, Warsaw, IN), was studied in 14 fresh-frozen cadaver femurs. A Pauwels class III fracture was simulated in these femurs. Seven femurs were fixed by placing the screw at a high (150 degrees) angle to the femoral axis; the other 7 femurs were fixed by placing the screw at a low (135 degrees) angle to the femoral axis. Mean compressive failure load was found to be significantly higher for the high-angle group than for the low-angle group. We concluded that compared with a low-angle screw placement (135 degrees), high-angle screw placement (150 degrees) results in a biomechanically stronger fixation.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Solomon H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chaim
authors.forename: Debi P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: Raymond H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Mayeux
authors.forename: Kalia K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sadasivan
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Albright
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001863:Bone Screws; D002102:Cadaver; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing