Thirty-nine consecutive patients with unstable three and four part intertrochanteric hip fractures were treated with cemented bipolar hip arthroplasty. A standard length primary femoral component was used with a novel technique of cerclage fixation of the trochanteric bone fragments allowing retention of the femoral calcar. At one year minimum follow up, there was no loosening or subsidence of the femoral components. All trochanters healed. One dislocation and one deep infection occurred. Unstable three and four part hip fractures can be treated with a standard femoral stem and cerclage cabling of the trochanters. The technique allows safe early weight bearing on the injured hip and had a relatively low rate of complications in our series.