Fractured Neck of the Femur, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly, the proximal femur is presented with the femoral head seated in the acetabulum and the femoral neck bridging to the intertrochanteric region. The fracture line traverses the posterior aspect of the neck and tracks close to the quadrate tubercle on the intertrochanteric crest, a landmark that lies just lateral to the base of the femoral neck. Superior to the crest, the greater trochanter projects laterally, while the lesser trochanter sits more posteromedially and inferiorly at the junction with the proximal shaft. A femoral neck fracture at this location carries immediate implications for vascularity of the femoral head, because the retinacular branches of the medial circumflex femoral artery course along the posterosuperior neck and are vulnerable when the neck is disrupted. Management often hinges on whether the fracture is intracapsular and displaced, since displacement correlates with higher rates of avascular necrosis and nonunion and pushes treatment toward arthroplasty rather than internal fixation in many adults. Orientation from the posterior also speaks directly to surgical thinking: the quadrate tubercle marks the insertion of quadratus femoris and sits near the plane where posterior approaches to the hip (and posterior dislocation mechanisms) concentrate soft tissue and capsular injury. Orthopaedic teaching files, trauma conference slides, and exam questions on Garden and Pauwels concepts benefit from a posterior view that makes the neck’s relationship to the intertrochanteric crest and trochanters easy to narrate. Use it in anatomy and radiology correlation modules to map plain-film and CT findings onto palpable bony landmarks at the back of the hip. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.