Femoral Neck Fracture Fixation with a Medial Buttress Plate That Led to Impingement with Hip Flexion

CASE: A 47-year-old man with an isolated femoral neck fracture was treated with open reduction and internal fixation with a medial femoral neck buttress plate and a dynamic hip screw. Union was achieved without osteonecrosis of the femoral head. However, hip arthroscopy that was performed for persistent hip pain following the fracture union revealed an intra-articular impingement of the buttress plate and a substantial anterior acetabular chondral injury. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first reported complication associated with the application of a medial buttress plate for a femoral neck fracture. This case report may help surgeons who employ this technique to avoid a similar complication.