2. Objectives
• Outline the biological and mechanical problems in
treating femoral neck fractures
• Identify the indication for fixation and arthroplasty
7. Blood supply
The posterior retinuacular vessels from the medial circumflex artery
provides the main nutrition to the femoral head
cranial anastomosis
biological effect
9. AO Classification
• Subcapital with slight
displacement
• Valgus position
• Mostly impacted
• Breakdown of trabecular
line
• Elderly patients
• Low energy
• Osteoporosis
• Female
B1
12. Garden classification (1961)
• High degree of interobserver variation
• Difficult to predict complication ( esp. grade III and IV )
• Only division on undisplaced ( I, II) and displaced (III, IV)
I II III IV
appearance of the trabeculae of the femoral head on AP X-ray
13. Pauwels classification (1935)
• High degree of inter and intraobserver variation
• Preoperative angle has no correlation with the subsequent
• Incidence of complications (except undisplaced fractures)
< 30° 30° - 70° > 70°
shearing forces at the site of fracture
14. Classification?
what does determine outcome?
• Displacement―undisplaced vs displaced
• Stability―stable vs unstable
valgus impacted are stable
16. Diagnosis
• AP and lateral x-ray
• Hip pain in elderly patient post-fall with normal x-ray
- Bone scan
- “Limited” MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- CT (computed tomography) scan
20. Undisplaced fractures
• Internal fixation will result in only 10% failure rate
• Safe and simple to fix
- Percutaneous or mini-open
21. Indication for fixation
Impacted and undisplaced fracture: cannulated screws—
implant of choice
minimal exposure
parallel to allow
compression
22. Displaced fractures
Elderly patients (the majority)
• High rate of failure for internal fixation
• Joint arthroplasty gives most reliable results
- Early weight bearing
- Lower failure rate
Young patients
• Internal fixation is more reliable than in elderly
• Arthroplasty is less reliable
32. Arthroplasty—options
• In the elderly, cement is preferred
• No significant difference between bipolar and unipolar
• Hemi-arthroplasty vs total hip
- Smaller operation
- Lower dislocation rate
- May not last as long as total joint replacement
• Anterolateral vs posterior approach
36. Summary
• Prognosis is dependent on displacement
• Internal fixation is indicated for all undisplaced (stable)
fractures, and for all fractures in young patients
• Arthroplasty is indicated for displaced fractures in the
elderly