Abstract
1. A technique of transarticular nailing for subcapital and transcervical fractures of the neck of the femur is described.
2. Forty-four operations have been done, and twenty-one patients have been under observation for periods of from one to six years. In one of these pseudarthrosis has developed; in two others there has been delayed union.
3. The method gives sound fixation by a "squeezing effect" on the proximal fragment, which is enhanced by the locking of the adjacent articulation.
4. It is presented as an alternative to prosthetic replacement for treatment of femoral neck fracture in the aged. The nail damages the articular surface of the acetabulum but not the femoral head.
5. The importance of care after operation is stressed.
6. The advantages of the method, the role of circulatory changes in the femoral head and the mechanics of transarticular fixation are discussed.
