With the age of our population advancing, the number of elderly osteoporotic patients with comminuted intertrochanteric fractures of the femur has increased dramatically. Intertrochanteric fractures of the femur usually occur in a more elderly age group than femoral neck fractures of the femur usually occur in a more elderly age group than femoral neck fractures. Intertrochanteric fractures are best treated by intenal fixation, since this mehod provides satisfactory positioning of the fragments and obviates the hazards of recumbency. However, in some caces with severe osteoporosis, arthroplasty is an excellent altemative to the internal fixation.

From 1987 to 1992, thirty-six intertrochanteric fractures of femur in the elderly patients(over 60 years of age) were treated by operation at the department of orthopaedic surgery in the Ewha Womans University Hospital. Thirty-three caces were internally fixated with the sliding-compression hip screws-plates(30), the Gamma interlocking intramedullary nails(2), the Rohs plate(1), and in three caces endoprosthetic or total hip replacement arthroplaties were performed.