Anterior Capsular Repair in Total Hip Arthroplasty Performed for Late-Presenting Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures

Dislocation after total hip arthroplasty performed for femoral neck fractures occurs frequently due to the significantly higher range of movement of the postoperative hip joint. Proper wound closure can prevent the loss of structural support provided by the capsule and myofascial structures, and is essential for postoperative hip stability. On 32 consecutive patients (four men, 28 women; mean age 64 years, range 48–83 years) with unilateral late-presenting displaced femoral neck fractures, a careful anterior capsule repair technique during total hip arthroplasty was performed by a single surgeon between 1997 and 2000. At one-year follow-up, no dislocation had occurred in any patient. Intraoperative protection and careful anatomic reattachment of the hip joint capsule may increase the stability of the hip joint after total hip arthroplasty and lead to a lower incidence of dislocation.