40 female patients with pertrochanteric fractures were randomized to receive fixation with a 135 degrees four-hole sliding hip screw or an external fixation device with hydroxyapatite-coated pins. The group treated with external fixation had a significantly shorter operation time and required significantly fewer units of blood transfusion than the group who received the dynamic hip screw. External fixation was also associated with less pain at 5 days than the dynamic hip screw. At 6 months, the degree of varus collapse was significantly lower with external fixation than with the dynamic hip screw. There was no difference between the two groups for the mean Harris Hip scores at 6 months.