Complication rates after proximal femoral nailing: does level of training matter?

Background: Surgical treatment of pertrochanteric fractures is one of the most performed surgeries in orthogeriatrics. Proximal femoral nailing, the most performed procedure, is often used as a training surgery for young residents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the resident's training level to complication rates.

Material and methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study. Surgeons were divided into four groups according to their training level. Complications included infection, cut-out, and revision surgery. The study was performed at a level 1 trauma center. All patients who were treated with proximal femoral nailing surgery with a radiological follow-up of at least 3 months were included.

Results: Of the 955 patients extracted, a total of 564 patients met the inclusion criteria. Second-year residents had significantly higher cut-out rates (p = 0.012). Further analysis indicated a correlation between level of training and surgery duration (p < 0.001) as well as a correlation between surgery duration and infection rate (p < 0.001). The overall complication rate was 11.2%. Analyzing overall complications, no significant difference was found when comparing surgeon groups (p = 0.3). No statistically significant difference was found concerning infection (p = 0.6), cut-out (p = 0.7), and revision surgery (p = 0.3) either.

Conclusion: Complication rates after proximal femoral nailing are not higher in patients who are treated by residents. Therefore, proximal femoral nailing is an excellent procedure for general orthopedic training. However, we must keep in mind that accurate positioning of the femoral neck screw is essential to keep cut-out rates as low as possible.

Level of evidence iii: