Intertrochanteric femur fracture

Background

• Occur via fall in elderly or osteoporotic

Clinical Features

• Typically pain, swelling, ecchymosis
  • May lose 1-2L of blood
• Unable to bear weight
• Shortening and external rotation if fracture is significantly displaced

Differential Diagnosis

Femur fractures

Proximal

• Intracapsular
  • Femoral head fracture
  • Femoral neck fracture
• Extracapsular
  • Intertrochanteric femur fracture
  • Trochanteric femur fracture

Shaft

• Mid-shaft femur fracture (all subtrochanteric)

Evaluation

Location of femur fractures

• Consider AP pelvis in addition to AP/lateral views to compare contralateral side
• Consider MRI if strong clinical suspicion but negative x-ray

Evaluation

Garden's classification of intertrochanteric fractures

• Stable (Garden's type I and II)
  • Lesser trochanter non-displaced, no comminution, medial cortices of prox/distal fragments aligned
• Unstable (Garden's type III and IV)
  • Displacement occurs, comminution is present, or multiple fracture lines exist

Management

• Admit for eventual ORIF

Disposition

• Admit

References

Authors

Ross Donaldson, Neil Young, Daniel Ostermayer