Conducted by the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU), and published in The Bone and Joint Journal, the trial compared the effectiveness of two different implants used to treat broken hips but found no clinically relevant difference between treatments.
The sliding hip screw (SHS) is a well-established treatment for hip fractures. A screw and plate is inserted into the thigh bone around the hip joint to hold the hip in place, leading to successful bone healing. However, in some patients, osteoporosis weakens the bones meaning they are not strong enough for the screw to hold in place. The broken bones can then come apart leaving some patients needing a second operation.
A new type of implant, the X-Bolt (XHS), was tested against the SHS to see if it was more effective. The X-Bolt builds on the successful design features of the SHS, the main difference being a bolt that expands within the femoral head, compressing the surrounding bone to improve fixation.