Uppsala screw fixation versus the von Bahr technique in displaced cervical hip fractures: preliminary report

A study of 75 patients with displaced cervical hip fractures was done utilizing two different multiple pinning techniques with threaded screws. One was the refined method of internal fixation by which the strongest bone of the femoral head was utilized to increase the stability of the fracture, and the other was the von Bahr method. As much as possible, other factors influencing healing were standardized in both groups. Forty-three of the patients were treated with the refined method and 32 with the von Bahr method. Complications occurred in 5 of 43 patients in the group treated with the new method, compared with 12 of 32 patients in the von Bahr group. Early redisplacement and nonunion were more common in the von Bahr group. Late segmental collapse was the same in both groups. In our opinion the early complications of redisplacement and nonunion are due to poor stability of the fracture. With the new, refined method, it is possible to reduce these complications.