Table 2.
Summary of outcomes (excluding those listed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) from the Cochrane review comparing three nails [gamma, intramedullary hip screw (IMHS), proximal femoral nail (PFN)] with the sliding hip screw (SHS) for proximal femoral fractures. Statistically significant differences are highlighted in bold [95% confidence intervals (CI)]
| Outcome | Number of studies | Number of patients | Incidence for nails | Incidence for SHS | Effect size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean length of surgery (min) | 8 | 1,232 | 2.96 (−3.78 to 9.69) | ||
| Mean operative blood loss (mls) | 6 | 1,042 | −34.9 (−58.0 to −11.8) | ||
| Number of patients transfused | 3 | 709 | 181/353 | 182/355 | 1.00 (0.87–1.16) |
| Mean radiographic screening time (min) | 6 | 787 | 0.92 (0.63–1.21) | ||
| Non-union | 11 | 1,405 | 5/697 | 5/708 | 1.00 (0.36–2.84) |
| Operative fracture of the femur | 20 | 3,058 | 30/1,547 | 4/1,580 | 3.44 (1.68– 7.05) |
| Later fracture of the femur | 20 | 2,662 | 37/1,360 | 2/1,371 | 5.38 (2.53– 11.45) |
| Deep wound infection | 12 | 1,822 | 11/945 | 9/946 | 1.20 (0.54–2.64) |
| Wound infection (any type) | 15 | 1,946 | 36/961 | 36/985 | 1.03 (0.66–1.60 |
| Thromboembolic complications | 12 | 1,770 | 35/875 | 25/895 | 1.37 (0.85–2.22) |
| Wound haematoma | 9 | 938 | 12/462 | 12/476 | 1.01 (0.50–2.04) |
| All medical complications | 9 | 1,003 | 146/497 | 139/506 | 1.08 (0.90–1.30) |
| Mean days hospital stay | 7 | 917 | −0.45 (−1.55 to 0.66) | ||
| Mortality | 19 | 2,599 | 258/1,316 | 278/1,354 | 0.96 (0.83–1.11) |
| Pain at follow-up | 7 | 734 | 113/364 | 106/370 | 1.10 (0.89–1.37) |
| Impaired walking | 8 | 1,270 | 265/632 | 275/638 | 0.98 (0.86–1.11) |
| Failure to return to previous residence | 8 | 966 | 204/468 | 213/498 | 1.02 (0.88 to 1.18) |