An Occult Ipsilateral Femoral Neck Fracture Associated With Mid-Shaft Femur Fracture

Occult ipsilateral femoral neck fractures associated with femoral shaft fractures are frequently missed. They may lead to adverse outcomes, such as fracture displacement and delayed treatment followed by poor outcomes, including delayed union, malunion, nonunion, and osteonecrosis, which may lead to early arthroplasty. These adverse effects can be prevented by the awareness of this combined injury pattern, the adequate preoperative and intraoperative imaging of the femoral neck, and proper treatment. A 27-year-old man was admitted with a displaced fracture of the right femur. Fluoroscopic evaluation was performed after the intramedullary nailing of the shaft fracture. The evaluation revealed an ipsilateral displaced femoral neck fracture, which was fixed with two cannulated screw inserted anterior to the nail. Between 2% and 9% of all femoral shaft fractures are associated with ipsilateral femoral shaft fractures. This case report necessitates the increase of awareness for the presence of associated femoral shaft and neck fractures in patients undergoing antegrade femoral nailing. Also, we recommend appropriate preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative imaging.