Ipsilateral concomitant fractures of the femoral neck and shaft

This paper is presented to review the treatment and diagnostic difficulties in cases of combined ipsilateral fracture of the neck and shaft of the femur. Only 83 cases, treated by various methods, have been reported in the literature. We treated 17 cases at our hospital during the period 1985 to 1991. Our present protocol for this double fracture is treatment with internal fixation as soon as possible. We did not have any bias for any kind of internal fixation devices; we made use of the implants for internal fixation which were most appropriate for that combination of fractures in that individual. In our series we followed the patients for 8 months to 5 years and the fractures united within 3 to 6 months. No major complications occurred, except infection in one case of open fracture. We conclude that both fractures should be fixed internally simultaneously and within 1 week, bearing in mind that individual cases may need special attention.