Developments in the treatment of fractures of the coxal end of the femur

The therapeutic concept for proximal femur fractures has changed to varying degrees from 1978 to 1988 in the Department of Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery at Steglitz Medical Center. In general, conservative therapy has been abandoned. Alloplastic joint replacement is performed in patients with coxarthrosis in the fracture area. A head prosthesis is chosen for those with a life expectancy of less than eight years. Clearly favourable results have been achieved in our department with the Duokopf prosthesis. Patients with a higher life expectancy are submitted to a total hip endoprosthesis, preference being given in cases of collum femoris fractures to the combination of a Spotorno shaft and a Morscher acetabulum. Loading should only be partial for five weeks in patients treated with this cement-free total endoprosthesis. We use the Duokopf prosthesis in the combination of a Spotorno shaft with a Uni-Hip head. We submit these patients to full loading primarily. --We have completely abandoned Ender nailing. We prefer the dynamic hip screw for per- and intertrochanteric femur fractures. For subtrochanteric femur fractures, we use the condyl plate. For lateral collum femoris fractures we have used the four-hole angle plate until 1988. Since 1989 we also use the dynamic hip screw. The one-hole angle plate is used for osteosynthesis in cases of medial collum femoris fractures.