Stress-riser fractures of the hip after sliding screw plate fixation.

Fractures occurring after fixation of intertrochanteric femur fractures have been described previously in the literature. Terms such as "stress-riser fracture" and "Young's modulus fracture" have been applied. The prevalence of these fracture types has increased, and so has use of the sliding screw plate device for fixation of intertrochanteric hip fractures. The object of this paper is to describe, by case examples, types of stress-related fractures of the proximal femur in association with the sliding screw plate and to define each biomechanical type in review.