At least 31 cases (23'5 per cent) answered that they had no pain, stiffness, or shortening, and no complaints of the injured leg. Pain in the hip and knee was assumed to be an index of degenerative arthritis and occurred in 33 (24 per cent). Shortening noticeable by the patient (and thus presumed to be at least I in.) was noted by 35 patients (24 per cent). COINCIDENT DISEASE Bronchopneumonia Cardiac insufficiency Carcinoma : Uterus Breast Colon Rectum Cerebral thrombosis Concussion Diabetes mellitus Disseminated sclerosis Epilepsy I Fat embolism (lungs) 2 Dislocation 2 Malaria I Parelysis agrtans 2 Prostatic hypertrophy 2 Fracture associated 3 Osteo-arthritis (hip-joints) 4 Poliomyelitis (same leg) 3 Senile dementia 3 Thyrotcxicosis 3
SUMMARY
From this range of cases it would appear that :-I. Men seem to break the neck of the femur at a slightly earlier age, less often, and with a greater chance of good function and walk earlier than women.
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T h e transcervical adduction type of fracture is the commonest pattern.
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Fractures of the femoral neck tend to occur in earlier age groups than fractures of the intertrochanteric region.
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The commonest angle of obliquity of the fracture seems to lie between 50 and 70 . Fractures in the 90-70" group appear to have a poorer prognosis, as maintained by Pauwels.