Displacement in femoral neck fractures. A numerical analysis of 200 fractures.

We measured the proximal-distal and anterior-posterior displacement of the femoral head in 200 femoral neck fractures. The numerical data were compared with the Garden classification. The average displacement of the Stages I and II fractures were almost equal. Moreover, the displacement of the Stage III fractures did not differ from the displacement of the Stage IV fractures. The Garden Stages I and II fractures displayed a more posterior position of the femoral head than did the normal hips. The femoral heads of Stages III and IV were situated more posterodistally than those of the Stages I and II fractures. Classification of femoral neck fractures into two groups without (Stages I and II) and with (Stages III and IV) proximal displacement is probably sufficient for clinical use.