Pauwels Classification (Femoral Neck Fracture)
Pauwels classification of a femoral neck fracture, by the angle of the fracture line from the horizontal — the biomechanical grading of the compression-vs-shear balance, the shear-angle counterpart to the Garden classification.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Pauwels type
- Type III - > 50 degrees (shear dominant, high risk)
Result: Pauwels type III: fracture-line angle greater than 50 degrees; shear forces dominate, with the highest risk of nonunion and avascular necrosis.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Type I / II
- I: < 30 degrees, compression dominant (most stable). II: 30-50 degrees, shear appears (intermediate).
- Type III
- > 50 degrees; shear forces dominate, with the highest risk of nonunion and avascular necrosis.
- Note
- The shear-angle counterpart to the Garden classification (which grades by displacement).
What you enter
- Pauwels type
How this is calculated
Pauwels F. Der Schenkelhalsbruch, ein mechanisches Problem. Stuttgart: Ferdinand Enke; 1935. Angle thresholds cross-verified against orthopedic references. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.