Pauwel's angle

Pauwel's angle is the angle between the line of a fracture of the neck of the femur and the horizontal as seen on an anterio-posterior radiograph.^[1] Pauwel's angle is named after the German orthopedist Friedrich Pauwels.^[2] Introduced in 1935, this system was the first biomechanical classification for femoral neck fractures, and is still in use.^[3]

Clinical Use

An increasing angle leads to a more unstable fracture and an increase in the shear stress at the fracture site. This shear leads to higher rates of nonunion.

Pauwel's Classification

Type	Angle
I	<30°
II	>30°/<50°
III	>50° [4]