Fractured Neck of the Femur, Anterior View

Description

Anteriorly, the proximal femur is presented with the femoral head seated at the acetabulum and a clear break through the femoral neck at the head neck junction, extending toward the intertrochanteric line between the greater and lesser trochanters. Portions of the os coxae frame the joint, including the acetabular rim and adjacent ilium, with the femoral shaft descending inferiorly from the trochanteric region. The greater trochanter lies lateral and superior to the lesser trochanter, while the fractured neck segment sits medial to the trochanteric mass and proximal to the femoral diaphysis. Fracture displacement is emphasized by loss of normal continuity between the head and the cervical cortex. A high-risk fracture pattern. Femoral neck fractures matter because a seemingly small cortical disruption can compromise the retinacular vessels from the medial femoral circumflex artery that course along the posterosuperior neck, raising the probability of femoral head osteonecrosis and nonunion when the fracture is intracapsular. An anterior view is helpful for teaching the relationship of the fracture line to the intertrochanteric line and for distinguishing transcervical from basicervical patterns that often drive treatment selection, ranging from internal fixation to hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty in older male patients. It also supports discussion of leg length, femoral offset, and rotational alignment, common pain points after operative management. Use this illustration in orthopedic trauma lectures, anatomy lab correlation sessions on the hip and proximal thigh, and in textbook figures explaining Garden or Pauwels concepts alongside surgical approaches such as the anterolateral (Watson-Jones) interval. It also fits patient-facing materials that explain why some fractures heal poorly and why arthroplasty may be chosen over screws in displaced intracapsular injuries. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.