The influence of osteoarthritis on the pattern of proximal femoral fractures

The relationship between subcapital and trochanteric fractures and osteoarthritis was investigated to test the hypothesis that the presence of osteoarthritis would predetermine the site of the fracture. The authors reviewed 429 pelvic radiographs of patients with proximal femoral fractures. Osteoarthritis was found in 18 patients (4.2%). Sixteen patients followed the predicted fracture pattern of subcapital fracture and osteoarthritis of the other hip, or trochanteric fracture and osteoarthritis of the same hip. These results were statistically significant, supporting the hypothesis that patients with osteoarthritis of the hip who fall are likely to sustain a contralateral subcapital fracture or an ipsilateral trochanteric fracture.