L. Hernefalk et al., EARLY ROENTGENOLOGICAL GRADING OF FEMORAL SHORTENING IS CORRELATED TOTHE LATE OUTCOME AFTER FEMORAL-NECK FRACTURES, Acta radiologica, 36(3), 1995, pp. 233-236
Using orthoradiography, the distance between the centre of the femoral
head and the intercondylar notch was assessed at regular intervals in
144 patients who were followed for a 2-year period after osteosynthes
is of a femoral neck fracture. Late complications, such as segmental c
ollapse and non-union, occurred in 27% of the patients. The degree of
femoral shortening was significantly correlated to the incidence of la
te complications. At 1 month, femoral shortening of more than 5 mm was
observed in 85% of patients who developed late complications, and in
only 5% of patients without such complications. Thus, the observation
of a shortening of more than 5 mm predicted a greater than 6-fold incr
ease of the incidence of late complications. The prognostic accuracy o
f this observation 1 month after treatment was 92%.