Bilateral fractures of the femoral neck

This study has analysed 500 patients admitted with fractures of the femoral neck. Fifty-three (10.6 per cent) had previously fractured the opposite hip. Thirty-eight per cent had fractured the second side within 1 year of the original fracture, and 74 per cent had initially sustained an intracapsular lesion. Eighty-three per cent sustained a similar type of fracture on both sides. The 3-month mortality following a second fracture was 30 per cent compared with 13 per cent following a first fracture. Thus, following a single fracture there is a significant risk of a second fracture, with an associated high mortality rate. This problem will only be solved if effective, prophylactic measures can be found to prevent bone mineral loss.