1. Recently described histological and radiographic methods of diagnosing osteoporosis have been applied to patients with transcervical and intertrochanteric fractures of the femur.

2. Both methods indicate a higher incidence of osteoporosis in such patients than in a control series, especially in older women with intertrochanteric fractures.

3. A discrepancy between the results of biopsy and radiographic examination was encountered, the explanation of which is not yet clear.