title: Surgical prevention of femoral neck fractures in elderly osteoporotic patients. A literature review.
abstract: Fragility fractures of the femur are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incidence of new contralateral hip fractures in elderly osteoporotic patients ranges from 7 to 12% within 2 years after the first fracture. Secondary prevention can be divided in: pharmacological therapy based on the prescription of anti-osteoporotic drugs with different mechanism of action and non-pharmacological therapy which is based on modification of environmental risk factors, on a healthy diet with daily supplements of calcium and vitamin D and calcium and on the use of hip protectors. Recently a new form of prevention is becoming achievable: surgical prevention; the rationale of surgical reinforcement is the need to increase the resistance of the femoral neck to the compression and distraction forces acting on it. In this paper we analyse all the experimental and "on the market" device available for the surgical prevention of femoral neck fracture.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedics and Traumatology, "Ospedale dell'Angelo", Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiarello
authors.affiliation: 1 Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic, Rizzoli Ortopaedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedesco
authors.affiliation: 1 Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic, Rizzoli Ortopaedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cadossi
authors.affiliation: 1 Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic, Rizzoli Ortopaedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capra
authors.affiliation: 1 Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic, Rizzoli Ortopaedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terrando
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedics and Traumatology, "Ospedale dell'Angelo", Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miti
authors.affiliation: 1 Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic, Rizzoli Ortopaedic Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannini
keywords: femoral neck fractures; osteoporosis; surgical prevention