Information for Medical Professionals

Incidence of hip fractures will increase over coming decades

The number of people suffering from hip fractures will increase in the coming decades, it has been claimed.

According to new research published in Orthopaedics 2010, surgeons must familiarise themselves with the challenges posed by such injuries as a result.

The researchers behind the Key Issues and Controversies in the Acute Management of Hip Fractures paper said that on top of this, orthopaedic surgeons must make sure they are aware of all the available treatment options, as well as the optimal management approach to take – which often needs to be assessed on a patient-by-patient basis.

"Current literature offers no evidence-based guidelines for the ideal surgical management of patients who have sustained hip fractures," the scientists behind the study said.

"Randomised trials and large meta-analyses provide conflicting results about the ideal treatment modality, timing, and patient selection," they added.

They suggested the introduction of standardised care centres for the elderly as a way of avoiding increased pressure on fracture repair services as the population of western countries ages.

Recently, scientists looking at the benefits of helical proximal femoral nails in the treatment of trochanteric fractures claimed the procedure offers better results than screw proximal femoral nails.

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