Fresh Fractures of the Neck of the Femur.
—Whitman75 states the belief that internal fixation of fractures of the femoral neck should be classified as a complement to the abduction method of treatment. Functional activity may predispose to necrosis of the head, and shortening of the femoral neck is not unusual in conditions treated by internal fixation. A number of cases have been reported in which spontaneous extrusion of the nail has resulted in union. Whitman directs a pessimistic outlook on patients treated by internal fixation, based on the statistics of Hey Groves, in which only 50 per cent of the bones in 75 cases united.
[Ed. Note (J. J. F.).
—The author's opinion as to the merit of internal fixation versus the abduction method is in contrast to the present day reports and a study previously conducted by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.]Harmon76 describes a