Outcomes of Femoral Neck Fractures in Young Patients and the Factors Associated With Complications: A Multicenter Study From Malaysia

Background and objective Femoral neck fractures are relatively rare in young adults, but they result in prolonged loss of function in these patients, thereby placing a huge burden on a country's healthcare and economy. Femoral neck fractures in young adults are normally treated with head salvage surgery. However, primary head replacement surgeries have been gaining traction recently to expedite the recovery of these patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the outcomes in young patients with femoral neck fractures and factors associated with their complications. Patients and methods Patients with femoral neck fractures who underwent surgery in three tertiary hospitals [Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah (HOSHAS), and Hospital Kuala Lipis] in Pahang state in Malaysia were reviewed and included in this study. The demographic profile of the patients, injury patterns, intervention details, functional outcomes, and complications were analyzed. The comparison between the sociodemographics, clinical assessment, and complication outcomes was analyzed using statistical software. Results The complications were associated with the mechanism of injury, capsulotomy, and type of fixation. A total of 46 patients were included in the study. Most of the patients were found to have severe displacement based on Garden and Pauwels classification. The majority of the patients underwent femoral head salvage surgeries. Almost half of the patients sustained complications and were unable to achieve weight-bearing status at six months postoperatively. Conclusion Despite a relatively short follow-up period in our study, femoral neck fractures in young adults were found to be associated with a high rate of complications. Primary head replacement surgeries should be considered in high-risk patients with femoral neck fractures.