Use of the lag screw for the surgical treatment of subcapital fractures of the femoral neck with slight displacement.

A report is given of the results of surgical treatment with a compression screw in a group of 22 patients with subcapital fractures of the femoral neck with minor displacement. The patients' average age was 63 years. Postoperatively, two patients (aged 75 and 83) died from complications not directly attributable to the operation. The remaining 20 patients were followed-up for two to eight years by means of personal interview, functional studies and radiological control. Two of the 20 patients died from unrelated causes at an early stage of the survey; however, the condition of the fractures at the time of death was satisfactory. Necrosis of the femoral head occurred in two cases. In all, a good functional result was obtained in 18 patients (90%). It is pointed out that these patients constituted a selected group, in which the prognosis was favourable in any case.