title: Proximal femoral locking compression plate for proximal femoral fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review short-term outcomes of proximal femoral locking compression plate (PF-LCP) fixation for proximal femoral fractures in terms of postoperative complications and failure rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 21 men and 5 women aged 22 to 85 (mean, 49.7) years who underwent internal fixation with the PF-LCP for proximal femoral fractures were reviewed. Younger patients (mean age, 38.7 years) were more commonly involved in high-energy trauma with multiple musculoskeletal injuries, whereas older patients (mean age, 67.7 years) were more commonly involved in low-energy trauma. Fractures were classified into: multi-fragmentary pertrochanteric fractures (n=13), transtrochanteric fractures (n=6), and subtrochanteric/proximal diaphyseal fractures (n=7).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were followed up for a mean of 14.7 months. Seven patients developed complications including loosening of locking screws (n=4), delayed union (n=2), and infection (n=1); 4 of them required additional surgeries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PF-LCP is appropriate for complex proximal femoral fractures with poor bone quality, revision surgeries, and multi-fragmentary subtrochanteric/proximal diaphyseal fractures. For intertrochanteric fractures, the sliding hip screw system should be used to avoid failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wei Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Diarmuid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Fareed H Y
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kagda
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thambiah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001860:Bone Plates; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: bone plates; complications; equipment failure analysis; femoral neck fractures