Fractures of the femoral neck – diagnostic and treatments patterns and unusual case report

The fracture of the femoral neck is a serious injury, especially in the elderly patients. Worldwide, more than a million patients are hospitalized for a hip fracture every year. The aetiology of such fractures in the elderly is most often due to a fall. In the young people, reasons include highenergy injuries such as car accidents. As life expectancy improves the number of elderly individuals increases, the use of motor vehicles increases, so we expect to deal with this type of fracture very often. Anatomy Femoral neck fracture occurs in the intracapsular joint space. Anatomically, localisation of the capsule of the hip extends from the acetabulum to the intertrochanteric line anteriorly and to the junction of the middle and distal third of the femoral neck posteriorly. The femoral neck extends from the femoral head to the intertrochanteric line. The blood supply to the femoral neck is provided by the circumflex arteries. Fracture of the neck can disrupt the supply from the arteries potentially leading to avascular necrosis of the head of the femur. Examination Examination demonstrates diffuse edema in the affected area plus tenderness, immobility and groin pain with hip motion. The leg is usually externally rotated and shortened.