title: Traumatic subchondral fracture of the femoral head in a healed trochanteric fracture.
abstract: An 82-year-old woman sustained a trochanteric fracture of the left femur after a fall. Fracture fixation was performed using proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) II, and she was able to walk with a T-cane after 3 months. Eleven months following the operation, the patient presented with left hip pain after a fall. Radiographs showed a subchondral collapse of the femoral head located above the blade tip. The authors removed the PFNA-II and subsequently performed cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty. Histological evaluation of the femoral head showed osteoporosis with no evidence of osteonecrosis. Repair tissue, granulation tissue and callus formation were seen at the collapsed subchondral area. Based on these findings, a traumatic subchondral fracture of the femoral head in a healed trochanteric fracture was diagnosed. A traumatic subchondral fracture of the femoral head may need to be considered as a possible diagnosis after internal fixation of the trochanteric fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Sang Yang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3750-7441
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niikura
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001858:Bone Nails; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation