title: The treatment of fractures of the hip by Roger Anderson well-leg traction.
abstract: In recent years the treatment of fractures of the hip in elderly patients has been almost exclusive surgical. However, there are occasions when either because of medical conditions or other surgical problems it is not possible to operate on these patients. An alternative method of handling such patients is the use of Roger Anderson well-leg traction. This is a retrospective report on a total of 15 patients treated at the Indiana University Medical Center between 1969 and 1977. It was found that ten of these patients survived the period in traction apparatus. Of the ten who survived nine healed their fractures. Few complications arose from the use of this method. This group of patients was compared with 16 patients who were treated surgically for comminuted intertrochanteric fractures. Eleven of these 16 patients survived. Seven had complications during the time of hospitalization for a rate of more than 50%. Although we realize that both series were very small, we feel that this study points out that Roger Anderson well-leg traction is an effective method of treating elderly patients under certain conditions.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014143:Traction / Q000379:methods*