Fractures of the Femoral Neck

Fractures of the femoral neck are the commonest type of fracture in the elderly and account for around 20% of orthopaedic hospital bed occupancies in the UK. The rate of femoral neck fractures increases exponentially over the age of 65 years and is strongly associated with osteoporosis.

When a fracture occurs in the femoral neck region, the fracture may be classified into either:

• Intracapsular - the fracture line being totally within the capsule of the hip joint
• Extracapsular - the fracture line being distal to the capsular attachments