Unchanging Incidence of Hip Fracture in Southeastern Norway

Purpose: The aim of this study was to ascertain trends in the incidence of hip fracture in southeastern Norway by comparing the hip fracture incidence for the years 2008 to 2010 to that of a study from 1998 to 2003 in the same area. Methods: We determined the number of hip fractures for the geographical area of Ostfold county, and the age- and gender-specific incidence per 100 000, with 95% confidence intervals, was calculated. Use of bisphosphonates was determined by extracting data from public databases. Results: The hip fracture incidence for men aged 50 to 74 and older than 75 years was 120 (100-141) and 1305 (1237-1372) in the latest time period, 1998-2003, whereas the incidence for the previous period, 2008-2010, was 124 (103-146) for men aged 50 to 75 and 1333 (1189-1476) for men older than 75 years. For women of 50 to 74 years, the incidence was 184 (158-209), and for women older than 75 years, it was 2523 (2428-2618). In the first time period, the corresponding incidence was 228 (200-257) for women aged 50 to 74 and 2330 (2189-2471) for women older than 75 years. As the 95% confidence intervals overlap in all the comparisons, it indicates the the incidence did not significantly differ between the time periods. Bisphosphonate use did not exceed 2% in any age group for men. For women, the highest rate of bisphosphonate use was 12.6% in the 85- to 89-year groups. Conclusion: We cannot confirm reports of decreasing incidence of hip fractur

Implant-Related Complications and Mortality After Use of Short or Long Gamma Nail for Intertrochanteric and Subtrochanteric Fractures

Background:. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rates of implant-related complications and mortality after treatment of an intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric fracture with a short or long Gamma nail. Methods:. Between September 1998 and August 2003, 644 patients at 2 centers treated with a long or short Gamma nail for a hip fracture were prospectively enrolled in this study. These patients were followed until they reached 1 of the study end points, which included death, a reoperation directly related to the Gamma nail, or the end date of the study. Results:. The average age (and standard deviation) of the patients included in the study was 81.3 ± 8.6 years at the time of the operation, and 28.3% of the patients were male. The rate of implant-related complications was 9.9%. The most common complications included peri-implant fracture (4.2%), proximal lateral thigh discomfort requiring extraction of the implant (2.0%), and lag-screw cutout (1.1%). Interestingly, more than half (56%) of the 27 peri-implant fractures occurred >1.5 years after the index operation. The median time from the operation to death was 2.9 years (range, 0 to 17.1 years). The 30-day mortality rate after treatment was 9.5%. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class-3 or 4 physical status had a significantly higher risk of mortality than ASA class-1 patients. Conclusions:. Gamma nails are effective in the treatment of intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric fractures. However, 9.8% of patients had complications requiring additional surgery. The most common serious complications include peri-implant fracture and lag-screw cutout. Several peri-implant fractures occurred long after the index procedure. Patients had a high rate of mortality (27%) after 1 year, and higher preoperative ASA class was found to be a predictor of increased risk of mortality. Therefore, clinicians must carefully consider patients’ preoperative comorbidities when counselling patients on the risks of surgery. Level of Evidence:. Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence