WHiTE 4

Fractures are a major global health issue, causing significant disability and healthcare costs. Around half of all hip fractures are treated with a metal implant to fix the bone in place while it heals. The implants allow the patient to start walking while their bone is healing. 

A 'sliding hip screw' is the most common implant used to fix a hip fracture in the UK. Most patients get good results after having their hip fixed with a sliding hip screw. But sometimes the implant can fail to hold the bone in the correct position. If the fixation fails, the patient will need a second operation which leads to longer stays in hospital and an increased risk of dying. 

To reduce the risk of the hip fixation failing, surgeons and engineers designed an alternative implant called the X-Bolt Dynamic Plating System. The X-Bolt uses expanding flanges that grip and compress the surrounding bone for stronger fixation. 

The WHiTE Four Trial compared the sliding hip screw with the X-Bolt system to see which implant allowed the patients to recover their quality of life most quickly. 

External Links

Here are relevant links to the study...

• [Main Study Results] 'Effect on health-related quality of life of the X-Bolt dynamic plating system versus the sliding hip screw for the fixation of trochanteric fractures of the hip in adults: the WHiTE Four randomized clinical trial' published in The Bone and Joint Journal