Publication:

Functional and radiological outcomes between cemented and uncemented partial hip replacement in the elderly

Background Hemiarthroplasty (HA) is the treatment of choice for displaced intracapsular femoral neck fractures (FNFs) in elderly patients. However, the optimal method of fixation-cemented or uncemented-remains controversial, particularly in the Indian population. This study aimed to compare the functional and radiological outcomes of cemented versus uncemented HA (UCHA) in elderly patients.

Methods A retro-prospective comparative study was conducted at a tertiary care centre from January 2021 to September 2024. Sixty-seven patients aged above 60 years with intracapsular FNFs treated with HA were included. Patients were divided into cemented (n=44) and uncemented (n=23) groups. Functional outcome was assessed using the Harris hip score (HHS), and radiological evaluation focused on prosthetic subsidence at 6 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 29.0 with p<0.05 considered significant.

Results The mean age of patients was 72.37±8.1 years, with females comprising 55% of the cohort. At 6 months, no statistically significant difference was observed in HHS between the cemented and uncemented groups (p=0.132). Good functional outcomes were seen in 52.6% of the cemented group and 54.5% of the uncemented group. Prosthetic subsidence was higher in the uncemented group (13.04%) compared to the cemented group (2.63%), though the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.135). No major complications were reported.

Conclusions Cemented and UCHA showed comparable short-term functional outcomes. However, uncemented fixation demonstrated a higher trend toward prosthetic subsidence. Larger studies with longer follow-up recommended.