Femoral fractures and orthopaedic surgery: a 4-year survey in Italy

Abstract

Femoral fractures are associated with a high rate of mortality, especially in the elderly, and high social and economic burdens. The impact of femoral fractures is of particular importance in countries like Italy with a progressively ageing population. Therefore, to quantify the real impact of femoral fractures, we studied national hospitalisation records. In a previous report we described the incidence and costs of hip fractures, while here we report our findings on the numbers and types of surgical interventions. We evaluated national records for operations of hip replacement and femoral fracture reduction in adults ≥45 years of age. Over 120 000 surgical hip interventions were performed in 2002; of these, more than 72 000 were directly attributable to femoral fractures. Between 1999 and 2002, the number of operations for femoral fractures increased by 7.1%, and in each year we observed a predominance of women and elderly, in line with the increased prevalence of osteoporosis in these populations. Together with our findings on an increased number of hospitalisations, these data indicate that in Italy the prevalence of hip fractures is increasing, and that women and elderly are the most affected. Primary prevention programmes to sensitise the population to the risks of osteoporotic fractures and to reduce the incidence, especially in high-risk subjects, are urgently needed.