Does the integrity of the lateral femoral wall predict reoperation in patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures treated with a sliding compression hip-screw device?
Patients with preoperative or intraoperative fracture of the lateral femoral wall are inadequately treated with a sliding compression hip-screw device, suggesting fracture classification should include lateral wall integrity.
A postoperative fracture of the lateral femoral wall was found to be the main predictor for a reoperation after an intertrochanteric fracture. Consequently, we concluded that patients with preoperative or intraoperative fracture of the lateral femoral wall are not treated adequately with a sliding compression hip-screw device, and intertrochanteric fractures should therefore be classified according to the integrity of the lateral femoral wall, especially in randomized trials comparing fracture implants.
Palm et al. (2007) studied this question.