A comparison of the treatment of trochanteric fractures of the femur by internal fixation with a nail plate and the Ender technique.

In our experience, trochanteric fractures fixed with Ender nails achieved a degree of success similar to those treated by nail plating, but the risk of wound infection was much less with the former method. The results of 78 trochanteric fractures of the femur internally fixed with Ender nails have been analysed and compared with the results in 100 similar patients treated by nail plate fixation. The Ender method has advantages over existing operative methods, in that in our series the infection rate was zero and we found that the operation produced less shock. We consider that this method, although technically more difficult, can be used for most intertrochanteric fractures and merits further trial.