The treatment of intracapsular fractures of the neck of the femur.

Fractures of’ the upper end of the femur are commonly divided into intra-articular and extra-articular groups. The intra-articular fracture is in turn divided into subcapital and transcervical types (Watson-Jones 1955, Key and Conwell 1961, Aston 1967, Ralston 1967, Apley 1968, Murray 1969). There appears to be some confusion as tothepreciselineof fracture in this common injury. The term “subcapital” is used for fractures occurring immediately below the femoral head, while “transcervical” refers to a fracture passing across the neck midway between the head and the greater trochanter. Some authors use subcapital as the only description whereas others adopt both terms. In view of the frequency of these fractures it is essential to have a clear picture of the fracture lines for the proper understanding of complications such as avascular tiecrosis and of the problems of internal fixation. Such knowledge is also essential for comparison with fractures produced experimentally, when there is often doubt as to what resembles a typical clinical example. Laboratory studies 011 the experimental production of’ fractures have shown that in long bones the fractures that occur at the proximal and distal ends reflect the