Aims. Hospital case volume is shown to be associated with postoperative outcomes in various types of surgery. However, conflicting results of volume-outcome relationship have been reported in hip fracture surgery. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between hospital case volume and postoperative outcomes in patients who had hip fracture surgery. We hypothesized that higher case volume would be associated with lower risk of in-hospital and one-year mortality after hip fracture surgery. Methods. Data for all patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture from January 2008 to December 2016 were extracted from the Korean National Healthcare Insurance Service database. According to mean annual case volume of surgery for hip fracture, hospitals were classified into very low (< 30 cases/year), low (30 to 50 cases/year), intermediate (50 to 100 cases/year), high (100 to 150 cases/year), or very high (> 150 cases/year) groups. The association between hospital case volume and in-hospital mortality or one-year mortality was assessed using the logistic regression model to adjust for age, sex, type of fracture, type of anaesthesia, transfusion, comorbidities, and year of surgery. Results. Between January 2008 and December 2016, 269,535 patients underwent hip fracture surgery in 1,567 hospitals in Korea. Compared to hospitals with very high volume, in-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in those with high volume (odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval ((CI) 1.02 to 1.17, p = 0.011), low volume (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.32, p < 0.001), and very low volume (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.34, p < 0.001). Similarly, hospitals with lower case volume showed higher one-year mortality rates compared to hospitals with very high case volume (low volume group, OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.19, p < 0.001; very low volume group, OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.14, p < 0.001). Conclusion. Higher hospital case volume of hip fracture surgery was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and one-year mortality in a dose-response fashion. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(10):1384–1391

Prospective data on hip fracture from 3686 patients at a United Kingdom teaching hospital were analysed to investigate the risk factors, financial costs and outcomes associated with deep or superficial wound infections after hip fracture surgery. In 1.2% (41) of patients a deep wound infection developed, and 1.1% (39) had a superficial wound infection. A total of 57 of 80 infections (71.3%) were due to Staphylococcus aureus and 39 (48.8%) were due to MRSA. No statistically significant pre-operative risk factors were detected. Length of stay, cost of treatment and pre-discharge mortality all significantly increased with deep wound infection. The one-year mortality was 30%, and this increased to 50% in those who developed an infection (p < 0.001). A deep infection resulted in doubled operative costs, tripled investigation costs and quadrupled ward costs. MRSA infection increased costs, length of stay, and pre-discharge mortality compared with non-MRSA infection

Aims. The use of multimodal non-opioid analgesia in hip fractures, specifically acetaminophen combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), has been increasing. However, the effectiveness and safety of this approach remain unclear. This study aimed to compare postoperative outcomes among patients with hip fractures who preoperatively received either acetaminophen combined with NSAIDs, NSAIDs alone, or acetaminophen alone. Methods. This nationwide retrospective cohort study used data from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. We included patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent surgery for hip fractures and received acetaminophen combined with NSAIDs (combination group), NSAIDs alone (NSAIDs group), or acetaminophen alone (acetaminophen group) preoperatively, between April 2010 and March 2022. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and complications. Secondary outcomes were opioid use postoperatively; readmission within 90 days, one year, and two years; and total hospitalization costs. We used propensity score overlap weighting models, with the acetaminophen group as the reference group. Results. We identified 93,018 eligible patients, including 13,068 in the combination group, 29,203 in the NSAIDs group, and 50,474 in the acetaminophen group. Propensity score overlap weighting successfully balanced patient characteristics among the three groups, with no significant difference in in-hospital mortality rates observed among the groups (combination group risk difference 0.0% (95% CI -0.5 to 0.4%); NSAIDs group risk difference -0.2% (95% CI -0.5 to 0.2%)). However, the combination group exhibited a significantly lower risk of in-hospital complications than the acetaminophen group (risk difference -1.9% (95% CI -3.2 to -0.6%)) as well as a significantly lower risk of deep vein thrombosis (risk difference -1.4% (95% CI -2.2 to -0.7%)). Furthermore, total hospitalization costs were higher in the NSAIDs group than in the acetaminophen group (difference USD $438 (95% CI 249 to 630); p < 0.001). No significant differences in other secondary outcomes were observed among the three groups. Conclusion. The combination of acetaminophen with NSAIDs appears to be safe and advantageous in terms of reducing in-hospital complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(8):849–857

Aims

To evaluate if, for orthopaedic trainees, additional cadaveric simulation training or standard training alone yields superior radiological and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation or hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture.

Prospective data on 6905 consecutive hip fracture patients at a district general hospital were analysed to identify the risk factors for the development of deep infection post-operatively. The main outcome measure was infection beneath the fascia lata.

A total of 50 patients (0.7%) had deep infection. Operations by consultants or a specialist hip fracture surgeon had half the rate of deep infection compared with junior grades (p = 0.01). Increased duration of anaesthesia was significantly associated with deep infection (p = 0.01). The method of fracture fixation was also significant. Intracapsular fractures treated with a hemiarthroplasty had seven times the rate of deep infection compared with those treated by internal fixation (p = 0.001). Extracapsular fractures treated with an extramedullary device had a deep infection rate of 0.78% compared with 0% for those treated with intramedullary devices (p = 0.02).

The management of hip fracture patients by a specialist hip fracture surgeon using appropriate fixation could significantly reduce the rate of deep infection and associated morbidity, along with extended hospitalisation and associated costs.

Introduction

We implemented an exhaustive operative and supervision algorithm for surgical treatment of hip fractures primarily based on own previously published literature. The purpose was to improve supervision and reduce the rate of reoperations.

Although it has long been appreciated that a healthy balanced diet improves health, there is a growing understanding of the way in which certain nutrients can actually improve immune function. Boosting immune function by the use of “immunonutrition” has been shown to improve outcomes, in particular rates of infective complications, in certain groups of surgical patients. In this study we examine the immune status of elderly patients who have suffered a hip fracture and are known to be vulnerable to infection and poor post-operative outcomes to identify specific immune defects associated with this particular cohort. This may allow us to explore the potential benefits of immunonutrition in this group of patients in the future. This was a cohort observational study, in which a series of 16 patients who underwent surgery for hip fractures were followed. The patients were female patients with an age of 60 to 85 years and a mental status questionnaire score of at least 8 out of 10. Immune function was evaluated prior to surgery, on the day following surgery and then at between days 4 and 7 post-operatively. Samples were tested directly ex-vivo using a variety of flow cytometric assays. We report profound loss of innate immune function related specifically to monocyte and granulocyte ability to generate a respiratory burst in response to E.coli uptake persisting up to day 7 post-operatively. In addition, serum cytokine levels indicated very poor T cell function, in identifying these patients as particularly vulnerable to infections

Aims. Factors associated with high mortality rates in geriatric hip fracture patients are frequently unmodifiable. Time to surgery, however, might be a modifiable factor of interest to optimize clinical outcomes after hip fracture surgery. This study aims to determine the influence of postponement of surgery due to non-medical reasons on clinical outcomes in acute hip fracture surgery. Methods. This observational cohort study enrolled consecutively admitted patients with a proximal femoral fracture, for which surgery was performed between 1 January 2018 and 11 January 2021 in two level II trauma teaching hospitals. Patients with medical indications to postpone surgery were excluded. A total of 1,803 patients were included, of whom 1,428 had surgery < 24 hours and 375 had surgery ≥ 24 hours after admission. Results. Prolonged total length of stay was found when surgery was performed ≥ 24 hours (median 6 days (interquartile range (IQR) 4 to 9) vs 7 days (IQR 5 to 10); p = 0.001) after admission. No differences in postoperative length of hospital stay nor in 30-day mortality rates were found. In subgroup analysis for time frames of 12 hours each, pressure sores and urinary tract infections were diagnosed more frequently when time to surgery increased. Conclusion. Longer time to surgery due to non-medical reasons was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative pressure sores and urinary tract infections when time to surgery was more than 48 hours after admission. No association was found between time to surgery and 30-day mortality rates or postoperative length of hospital stay. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(12):1369–1378

Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between additional rehabilitation at the weekend, and in-hospital mortality and complications in patients with hip fracture who underwent surgery. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in Japan using a nationwide multicentre database from April 2010 to March 2018, including 572,181 patients who had received hip fracture surgery. Propensity score matching was performed to compare patients who received additional weekend rehabilitation at the weekend in addition to rehabilitation on weekdays after the surgery (plus-weekends group), as well as those who did not receive additional rehabilitation at the weekend but did receive weekday rehabilitation (weekdays-only group). After the propensity score matching of 259,168 cases, in-hospital mortality as the primary outcome and systemic and surgical complications as the secondary outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results. The plus-weekends group was significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality rates compared with the weekdays-only group (hazard ratio 0.86; 95% confidence interval 0.8 to 0.92; p < 0.001). Systemic complications such as acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, renal failure, and sepsis were significantly lower in the plus-weekends group, whereas urinary tract infection (UTI) and surgical complications such as surgical site infection and haematoma were significantly higher in the plus-weekends group. Conclusion. Additional weekend rehabilitation was significantly associated with lower in-hospital mortality, as well as acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, renal failure, and sepsis, but was also significantly associated with a higher risk of UTI and surgical complications. This result can facilitate the effective use of the limited rehabilitation resources at the weekend and improve the clinical awareness of specific complications. To establish more robust causal associations between additional rehabilitation over the weekend and clinical outcomes, further prospective studies or randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are warranted. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(8):872–879

Aims. The purpose of this study was to determine the weightbearing practice of operatively managed fragility fractures in the setting of publically funded health services in the UK and Ireland. Methods. The Fragility Fracture Postoperative Mobilisation (FFPOM) multicentre audit included all patients aged 60 years and older undergoing surgery for a fragility fracture of the lower limb between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019, and 1 February 2021 and 14 March 2021. Fractures arising from high-energy transfer trauma, patients with multiple injuries, and those associated with metastatic deposits or infection were excluded. We analyzed this patient cohort to determine adherence to the British Orthopaedic Association Standard, “all surgery in the frail patient should be performed to allow full weight-bearing for activities required for daily living”. Results. A total of 19,557 patients (mean age 82 years (SD 9), 16,241 having a hip fracture) were included. Overall, 16,614 patients (85.0%) were instructed to perform weightbearing where required for daily living immediately postoperatively (15,543 (95.7%) hip fracture and 1,071 (32.3%) non-hip fracture patients). The median length of stay was 12.2 days (interquartile range (IQR) 7.9 to 20.0) (12.6 days (IQR 8.2 to 20.4) for hip fracture and 10.3 days (IQR 5.5 to 18.7) for non-hip fracture patients). Conclusion. Non-hip fracture patients experienced more postoperative weightbearing restrictions, although they had a shorter hospital stay. Patients sustaining fractures of the shaft and distal femur had a longer median length of stay than demographically similar patients who received hip fracture surgery. We have shown a significant disparity in weightbearing restrictions placed on patients with fragility fractures, despite the publication of a national guideline. Surgeons intentionally restrict postoperative weightbearing in the majority of non-hip fractures, yet are content with unrestricted weightbearing following operations for hip fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(8):972–979

Aims. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of hospital-level service characteristics on hip fracture outcomes and quality of care processes measures. Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of publicly available audit data obtained from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) 2018 benchmark summary and Facilities Survey. Data extraction was performed using a dedicated proforma to identify relevant hospital-level care process and outcome variables for inclusion. The primary outcome measure was adjusted 30-day mortality rate. A random forest-based multivariate imputation by chained equation (MICE) algorithm was used for missing value imputation. Univariable analysis for each hospital level factor was performed using a combination of Tobit regression, Siegal non-parametric linear regression, and Mann-Whitney U test analyses, dependent on the data type. In all analyses, a p-value < 0.05 denoted statistical significance. Results. Analyses included 176 hospitals, with a median of 366 hip fracture cases per year (interquartile range (IQR) 280 to 457). Aggregated data from 66,578 patients were included. The only identified hospital-level variable associated with the primary outcome of 30-day mortality was hip fracture trial involvement (no trial involvement: median 6.3%; trial involvement: median 5.7%; p = 0.039). Significant key associations were also identified between prompt surgery and presence of dedicated hip fracture sessions; reduced acute length of stay and both a higher number of hip fracture cases per year and more dedicated hip fracture operating lists; Best Practice Tariff attainment and greater number of hip fracture cases per year, more dedicated hip fracture operating lists, presence of a dedicated hip fracture ward, and hip fracture trial involvement. Conclusion. Exploratory analyses have identified that improved outcomes in hip fracture may be associated with hospital-level service characteristics, such as hip fracture research trial involvement, larger hip fracture volumes, and the use of theatre lists dedicated to hip fracture surgery. Further research using patient level data is warranted to corroborate these findings. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(10):1627–1632

Aims. Few studies have investigated potential consequences of strained surgical resources. The aim of this cohort study was to assess whether a high proportion of concurrent acute surgical admissions, tying up hospital surgical capacity, may lead to delayed surgery and affect mortality for hip fracture patients. Methods. This study investigated time to surgery and 60-day post-admission death of patients 70 years and older admitted for acute hip fracture surgery in Norway between 2008 and 2016. The proportion of hospital capacity being occupied by newly admitted surgical patients was used as the exposure. Hip fracture patients admitted during periods of high proportion of recent admissions were compared with hip fracture patients admitted at the same hospital during the same month, on similar weekdays, and times of the day with fewer admissions. Results. Among 60,072 patients, mean age was 84.6 years (SD 6.8), 78% were females, and median time to surgery was 20 hours (IQR 11 to 29). Overall, 14% (8,464) were dead 60 days after admission. A high (75. th. percentile) proportion of recent surgical admission compared to a low (25. th. percentile) proportion resulted in 20% longer time to surgery (95% confidence interval (CI) 16 to 25) and 20% higher 60-day mortality (hazard ratio 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.4). Conclusion. A high volume of recently admitted acute surgical patients, indicating probable competition for surgical resources, was associated with delayed surgery and increased 60-day mortality. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(2):264–270

Aims. Low haemoglobin (Hb) at admission has been identified as a risk factor for mortality for elderly patients with hip fractures in some studies. However, this remains controversial. This study aims to analyze the association between Hb level at admission and mortality in elderly patients with hip fracture undergoing surgery. Patients and Methods. All consecutive patients (prospective database) admitted with hip fracture operated in a tertiary hospital between 2012 and 2016 were analyzed. We collected patient characteristics, time to surgery, duration and type of surgery, comorbidities, Hb at admission, nadir of Hb after surgery, the use and amount of red blood cells (RBCs) transfusion products, postoperative complications, and death. The main outcome measures were mortality at 30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and one year after surgery. Results. We included 829 patients; the mean age was 81 years (. sd. 11). Mortality at 30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and one year was 5.7%, 12.3%, 18.1%, and 23.5%, respectively. The highest mortality was observed in patients aged over 80 years (162/557, 29%) and in male patients (85/267, 32%). Survival at 90 days, 180 days, and one year after surgery was significantly lower in patients with a Hb level below 120 g/l at admission. In multivariate analysis, Hb level below 120 g/l at admission was found to be an independent factor associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 to 2.31); p = 0.001), along with age (aHR 1.06 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.06); p < 0.001), male sex (aHR 2.19 (95% CI 1.61 to 2.96); p < 0.001), and need for RBC transfusions (aHR 1.10 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.19); p = 0.01). Conclusion. Our results suggest that low Hb at admission along with age and RBC transfusions is significantly associated with short- and long-term mortality after hip fracture surgery, independently of comorbidity confounders. Further studies should be performed to understand how preoperative Hb could be taken into account in perioperative management. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1122–1128

Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate mortality and risk of intraoperative medical complications depending on delay to hip fracture surgery by using data from the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register (NHFR) and the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR). Patients and Methods. A total of 83 727 hip fractures were reported to the NHFR between 2008 and 2017. Pathological fractures, unspecified type of fractures or treatment, patients less than 50 years of age, unknown delay to surgery, and delays to surgery of greater than four days were excluded. We studied total delay (fracture to surgery, n = 38 754) and hospital delay (admission to surgery, n = 73 557). Cox regression analyses were performed to calculate relative risks (RRs) adjusted for sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, type of surgery, and type of fracture. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated for intraoperative medical complications. We compared delays of 12 hours or less, 13 to 24 hours, 25 to 36 hours, 37 to 48 hours, and more than 48 hours. Results. Mortality remained unchanged when total delay was less than 48 hours. Total delay exceeding 48 hours was associated with increased three-day mortality (RR 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23 to 2.34; p = 0.001) and one-year mortality (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.22; p = 0.003). More intraoperative medical complications were reported when hospital delay exceeded 24 hours. Conclusion. Hospitals should operate on patients within 48 hours after fracture to reduce mortality and intraoperative complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1129–1137

Aims. The aim of this study was to assess the association of mortality and reoperation when comparing cemented and uncemented hemiarthroplasty (HA) in hip fracture patients aged over 65 years. Methods. This was a population-based cohort study on hip fracture patients using prospectively gathered data from several national registries in Denmark from 2004 to 2015 with up to five years follow-up. The primary outcome was mortality and the secondary outcome was reoperation. Hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality and subdistributional hazard ratios (sHRs) for reoperations are shown with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. A total of 17,671 patients with primary HA were identified (9,484 uncemented and 8,187 cemented HAs). Compared to uncemented HA, surgery with cemented HA was associated with an absolute risk difference of 0.4% for mortality within the period zero to one day after surgery and an adjusted HR of 1.70 (95% CI 1.22 to 2.38). After seven days, there was no longer any association, with an adjusted HR of 1.07 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.28). This continued until five years after surgery with a HR of 1.01 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.06). There was a higher proportion of reoperations due to any reason after five years in the uncemented group with 10.2% compared to the cemented group with 6.1%. This yielded an adjusted sHR of 0.65 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.75) and difference continued up until five years after the surgery, demonstrating a sHR of 0.70 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.83). Conclusion. In a non-selected cohort of hip fracture patients, surgery with cemented HA was associated with a higher relative mortality during the first postoperative day compared to surgery with uncemented HA, but there was no difference after seven days up until five years after. In contrast, surgery with cemented HA was associated with lower risk of reoperation up to five years postoperatively compared with surgery with uncemented HA. There was a higher relative mortality on the first postoperative day for cemented HA versus uncemented HA. There was no difference in mortality after seven days up until five years after surgery. There were 6.1% reoperations for cemented HA compared to 10.2% for uncemented HA after five years. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):127–133

Aims

To compare the cost-effectiveness of high-dose, dual-antibiotic cement versus single-antibiotic cement for the treatment of displaced intracapsular hip fractures in older adults.

Aims

Prior to the availability of vaccines, mortality for hip fracture patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection was three times higher than pre-pandemic rates. The primary aim of this study was to determine the 30-day mortality rate of hip fracture patients in the post-vaccine era.

Aims. This study describes and compares the operative management and outcomes in a consecutive case series of patients with dislocated hemiarthroplasties of the hip, and compares outcomes with those of patients not sustaining a dislocation. Patients and Methods. Of 3326 consecutive patients treated with hemiarthroplasty for fractured neck of femur, 46 (1.4%) sustained dislocations. Of the 46 dislocations, there were 37 female patients (80.4%) and nine male patients (19.6%) with a mean age of 83.8 years (66 to 100). Operative intervention for each, and subsequent dislocations, were recorded. The following outcome measures were recorded: dislocation; mortality up to one-year post-injury; additional surgery; residential status; mobility; and pain score at one year. Results. Of 43 dislocations, 30 (70%) occurred within one month and 42 (98%) occurred within three months of hip fracture surgery. Seven (16%) of these patients were treated with a single closed reduction and sustained no further dislocations. Four (9%) were treated with open reduction and experienced no further dislocations. Three (7%) hips were left dislocated and the remaining 32 (74%) patients required additional surgery of further closed reduction, revision, or excision arthroplasty. The one-year mortality rates for patients treated with two or fewer reductions (open or closed), successful revision arthroplasty, and excision arthroplasty were 3/14 (21%), 1/7 (14%), and 8/14 (57%) respectively. The only statistically significant difference in mortality was the difference between patients who did not sustain a dislocation and those who did and were treated by excision arthroplasty (p = 0.03). Patients treated by excision arthroplasty had the greatest reduction in mobility scores and highest pain scores. The excision arthroplasty group also included the greatest proportion of patients not able to mobilize and the smallest proportion of patients remaining in their own home. Conclusion. Most dislocations of hemiarthroplasties of the hip occur within one month of surgery. Closed reduction is generally unsuccessful. For those patients with unsuccessful closed reduction, revision arthroplasty should be considered when possible, as this results in a better functional outcome with a lower mortality than excision arthroplasty

Aims

Hip fracture commonly affects the frailest patients, of whom many are care-dependent, with a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19. We examined the impact of COVID-19 infection on hip fracture mortality in England.

Aims

We assessed the value of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in the prediction of adverse outcome after hip fracture.