220 patients with isolated pertrochanteric femoral fractures were randomized to receive surgical intervention with a short or long cephalomedullary nail. Primary outcomes of interest included the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and the Harris Hip Score. Secondary outcomes of interest included implant failure, peri-implant failure, mortality, operative time, estimated blood loss and the incidence of re-operation. Outcomes were assessed up to 12 months post-operation. Results revealed significantly favourable 3 month Harris Hip scores, lower operative time and lower estimated blood loss in the short nail group compared to the long nail group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in all remaining outcomes.