M. Kamihira

Treatment of Trochanteric Fractures

This study is based on a series of 46 patients with 47 trochanteric fractures in all, of whom 27 patients (28 fractures) were treated by open reduction and internal fixation, and remaining 19 were treated by closed mehods of treatment.The following results were obtained.1) Of the 46 patients studied, 26 were male and 20 female, and 42.8per cent of all patients were between 71 and 92 years of age.2) Of the 47 trochanteric fractures studied, 30 were unstable fracture.3) The mortality rate among patients treated by operative methods has been reduced as compared with that treated by nonoperative methods.4) Coxa vara deformity following open reduction and internal fixation of the trochanteric fractures develops in 39.4per cent, nonunion and protrusion of the nail into the acetabulum in 7.1per cent respectively.Moreover the majority of those complications was observed in the unstable trochanteric fractures.5) The authors concluded that, placing the hip in the valgus position, then rigid internal fixation by so-called dual plating with the nail-plate and a buttress plate is useful as one of the manegements of preventing coxa vara deformity following operation in some cases of the unstable trochanteric fractures.