The treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the hip: a prospective trial of 150 cases.

We report a prospective clinical trial of 150 cases for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fracture of the neck of the femur. Three methods were tested in our series--skeletal traction with a tibial pin, medial displacement osteotomy and valgus osteotomy--with 50 patients in each group. Our results showed no significant difference between those treated with the Dimon and Hughston osteotomy and those treated by the Sarmiento osteotomy. Conservative treatment of skeletal traction for unstable fracture was found to be well tolerated by the Chinese patient. A low mortality and morbidity rate was found in this series with an overall infection rate of 4 per cent.