Periprosthetic femoral fractures: What to do, what to do?

Post-operative periprosthetic fractures have an incidence of 1.1% (Berry, 1999 [1]). The periprosthetic fracture is commonly classified by the location of the fracture. The most frequently utilized fracture classification categorizes patients by the location of the fracture including: peritrochanteric, around the stem, or distal to the femoral implant. Additional considerations incorporated in this classification include femoral implant stability and host bone status. We will review the different treatment modalities for each fracture type with consideration given to stem stability and host bone status.