Time to internal fixation of femoral neck fractures in patients under sixty years--does this matter in the development of osteonecrosis of femoral head?

Purpose Osteonecrosis of femoral head remains a major complication of femoral neck fractures. It has been postulated that early internal fixation drastically reduces the incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. However, there is a paucity of literature looking at the effect of time delay to internal fixation on the development of this late complication. In this study, we aim to assess the effect of time delay and method of internal fixation on the development of osteonecrosis in those less than 60 years of age.