Microfractures of the trabeculae were studied in the femoral heads of
three different population groups. The femoral heads were sliced and then
examined with a dissecting microscope. Microfractures were found in large
numbers in specimens from British patients who had suffered femoral-neck
fracture, and in smaller numbers in femoral heads -aken routine autopsy in
India and in China (Hong Kong). There were many more microfractures in the
thinner, lightly stressed trabeculae than in the thicker weight-bearing
trabeculae in the fractured femoral-neck specimens. The significance of
these findings is discussed in the light of current concepts regarding the
pathogenesis and significance of trabecular microfractures.