Primary total hip replacement for displaced subcapital femoral fractures.

A retrospective study of 48 patients, in whom total hip arthroplasty was undertaken as the primary management of displaced subcapital femoral fracture, has established that results are sufficiently good to merit a prospective trial of total arthroplasty against hemi-arthroplasty for his condition. Prosthetic dislocation occurred in 7 patients and was the major complication, but successful results were not thereby precluded.