Basicervical fracture--a rare type of hip fracture

Basicervical fracture is a controversial type of hip fracture, which can be regarded as either extracapsular or intracapsular. It is seldom mentioned in the authorized orthopaedic textbooks, and it lacks an exact definition in the most commonly used classifications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of basicervical hip fractures and the methods of treating them in a prospective series of 1624 consecutive hip fractures. Standardized forms were used to collect information, including the classification of fracture types. Initially, 108 fractures were classified as basicervical, but a careful second-look check revealed that 51 were transcervical fractures, while 27 fractures had a trochanteric extension. Thus, 30 of the fractures fulfilled the criteria of basicervical fracture (rate 1.8%). The 14 fractures treated as extracapsular fractures (dynamic hip screw, DHS, or gamma nail) showed a better outcome than the 16 treated as intracapsular fractures (hemiarthroplasty or screw osteosynthesis). We conclude that basicervical fracture of the hip is a very uncommon entity, but it is worth considering and should be treated as a trochanteric fracture.