Hemiarthroplasty vs. Total Hip Arthroplasty for Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures

Hemiarthroplasty (replacement of only the femoral head) and total hip arthroplasty (replacement of both the femoral head and acetabulum) are both options for patients with displaced fractures of the femoral neck; each approach has certain advantages and disadvantages. In this international randomized trial, researchers compared the two procedures in 1495 patients.

The primary endpoint — another hip procedure required and performed within 24 months — occurred in 8% of patients in both groups. Nonsignificant trends suggested more adverse events and more hip-related complications with total hip arthroplasty than with hemiarthroplasty. Conversely, some measures of pain and function favored total hip arthroplasty compared with hemiarthroplasty, b…