Abstract All fractures of the femoral shaft admitted to the Denver General Hospital, as well as those encountered in private practice since 1928, were reviewed and arbitrarily divided into four classes according to the age of the patient. From this study, the most satisfactory mode of care is reported for each group; namely, infants were benefited most when the Bryant overhead form of traction was used; children responded most satisfactorily to the Russell traction method of treatment; skeletal traction proved most efficient in adults under sixty years of age; while both the Russell method and skeletal traction gave equally good results in the aged. The extreme value to be obtained by the more common utilization of the fluoroscope, as an indicator of the proper plane of traction for each individual case, is not generally appreciated; and for this reason, it is suggested that with the more frequent employment of the fluoroscope for this purpose, the results with all forms of traction will be improved, and consequently the number of cases requiring a subsequent open reduction will necessarily be reduced.