Abstract
A comparative biomechanical study was performed to investigate the relationship between the bone mineral density of the femoral neck and fixation failure using a compression hip screw and a Gamma nail for the Evans type 1 intertrochanteric fracture of the femur in cadavers. There was a positive correlation between the strength of fixation and bone mineral density in both the compression hip screw and Gamma nail groups (R=0.684, p<0.05). No statistical differences in the strength of fixation were observed between two groups (p<0.05). The strength of fixation to failure was significantly less for specimens with a bone mineral density of <0.6g/cm2 compared to those with a bone mineral density of ≥0.6g/cm2. A bone mineral density of <0.6g/cm2 may be the critical value for fixation failure even if with a compression hip screw or a Gamma nail. However, further biomechanical and clinical studies are required before this threshold value can be used clinically.
