[Ender nailing for stabilization of pertrochanteric fractures in advanced age. A safe procedure?]

The postoperative course of 138 patients with a pertrochanteric fracture treated by nailing according to Ender is analysed with regard to the operative morbidity and lethality. As secondary factors associated with morbidity the specific and unspecific rate of complications, the lethality, the perioperative loss of blood and the duration of postoperative hospitalisation are evaluated. Specific complications occurred in 27%, unspecific complications in 50%, and the rate of hospital mortality was 15.2%, 60.9% of patients required a postoperative transfusion to compensate the perioperative blood loss. In contrast to other authors we cannot regard Ender nail osteosynthesis as a lowrisk procedure with a low operative morbidity. When choosing the treatment procedure alternative methods of stabilisation should be taken into account. An intensive postoperative care is of utmost importance in elderly patients.