Interdisciplinary prevention of hip fracture
Spain has one of the highest hospital costs relating to hip fracture, at 9,936 euros for an admission related to this pathology1. To these economic-health costs we must add those arising in the patient’s environment and, above all, the non-quantitative costs arising from the changes in lifestyle and the loss of productivity which fragility fractures produce, both for the patient, as well as for their families, and for society as a whole. These are difficult to quantify, pending the results of the ICUROS and PROA2 studies, which have estimating these costs as their objectives.
If we take into account the high number of hip fractures treated annually, 720 cases annually for every 100,000 people over 60 years of age, it is not difficult to understand the serious public health problem this represents. However, the true problem is not the financial costs, but in the personal cost which results, and which is translated into raised levels of morbimortality.
Hip fracture, the outcome of loss of femoral resistance, and in many cases, of a fall, is the most serious example of the complications of osteoporosis. Its treatment should be based on resolving the functional problem, improving the nutritional and metabolic state of the injured person, on avoiding new falls and trying to recuperate and reinforce the bone structure.
If these actions are not carried out diligently the clinical and life prognosis will become more serious.