The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 63, Issue 1 14-28, Copyright © 1981 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
The use of Ender's pins in extracapsular fractures of the hip
MW Chapman, WE Bowman, JJ Csongradi, LJ Day, PG Trafton and EG Bovill
In October 1976 a randomized, paired, prospective study comparing the
compression sliding hip screw with Ender's pins in the treatment of
extracapsular hip fractures was begun on the orthopaedic service at San
Francisco General Hospital. The results in 100 patients with a minimum
follow-up of six months showed that Ender's procedure required less
operative time, had less blood loss, and had a lower postoperative
incidence of medical complications. A 26 per cent incidence of technical
problems with Ender's pins (such as postoperative backing-out of the pin)
required reoperation in 16 per cent of the patients compared with an 8 per
cent rate of reoperation in patients treated with the compression screw.
The majority of these complications occurred in unstable fractures. There
were no deep infections in the patients with Ender's pins but a 6 per cent
incidence of deep infection was seen in those with the hip screws. There
were no non-unions in either group. Although hip function at follow-up was
equal in both groups, there was a 41 per cent incidence of postoperative
pain and stiffness of the knee in the group with Ender's pins. It is our
opinion that Ender's pins are a valuable addition to the armamentarium of
surgeons treating extracapsular fractures of the hip and are ideally suited
for elderly patients with stable fractures, particularly if the surgical
risk is high. They must be used with caution in unstable fractures and
postoperative protection in traction may be necessary. However, the
occasional external rotation deformity and the high incidence of problems
with the knee makes their use in younger, more active patients less
desirable than the compression hip screw unless their unique advantages
justify their use.