The clinical evidence behind the current implants used for proximal femoral fractures is weak considering the number of implants used worldwide .
Sporadic evaluation is not sufficient to identify long term problems .
INTRODUCTION Evaluation of the long-term performance of  implants used in trauma surgery relies on post-marked clinical studies since no registry based implant assessment exists .
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence of performance of implants  currently used for treating proximal femoral fractures ( PFF ) in Denmark .
Clinical results using the trochanter stabilizing plate (TSP): the modular extension of the dynamic hip screw (DHS) for internal fixation of selected unstable intertrochanteric fractures.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the implantation of the modular trochanter stabilizing plate ( TSP ) in addition to the dynamic hip screw ( DHS ) prevents excessive telescoping and limb shortening in four-part and selected three-part trochanteric fractures . DESIGN Prospect i ve clinical study . SETTING The study was conducted at the trauma unit of the Surgical Department of the University of Basel , Switzerl and . PATIENTS Forty-six consecutive patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures were treated with an additional TSP super-imposed on the regular DHS  at our institution between July 1991 and July 1993 . Five patients died before the first follow-up , one patient was lost to follow-up , and another patient refused follow-up . Thus , thirty-nine patients were followed for at least twelve months ( mean 14 months , range 12 to 20 months ) . INTERVENTION The fractures treated were classified according to the OTA classification , which is based on the AO classification . Seventeen were 31-A2.2 , seven were 31-A2.3 , and fourteen were 31-A3.3 fractures . RESULTS Lateralization of the greater trochanter was successfully prevented in all fractures . Limited fracture impaction was found in 90 percent ( n = 35 ) of the patients with telescoping of 9.5 millimeters ( range 0 to 30 millimeters ) , result ing in mean limb shortening of 5.37 millimeters ( range 0 to 14.9 millimeters ) . Four patients suffered limb shortening exceeding fifteen millimeters ( range 15.6 to 21.3 millimeters ) . Functional results were excellent and good in 87 percent of patients and fair in 13 percent according to the Salvati-Wilson score . All fractures had healed six months after the operation . Three complications required a secondary procedure : one from not inserting a second screw parallel to the gliding hip screw to prevent rotation of the head-neck fragment ( " antirotation screw " ) , one because of deep infection , and one because of a refracture after premature implant removal . CONCLUSION In unstable pertrochanteric fractures with small or missing lateral cortical buttress , the addition of a TSP to the DHS effectively supports the unstable greater trochanter fragment and can prevent rotation of the head-neck fragment . Excessive fracture impaction and consecutive limb shortening was prevented by this additional implant in 90 percent of these patients
The clinical evidence behind the current implants used for proximal femoral fractures is weak considering the number of implants used worldwide .
Sporadic evaluation is not sufficient to identify long term problems .
INTRODUCTION Evaluation of the long-term performance of  implants used in trauma surgery relies on post-marked clinical studies since no registry based implant assessment exists .
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence of performance of implants  currently used for treating proximal femoral fractures ( PFF ) in Denmark .