Mortality After Low-Energy Fractures in Patients Aged at Least 45 Years Old

Abstract

There is prolonged risk of premature mortality seen in both proximal femoral and proximal humeral fracture groups in the younger age cohorts, possibly as a result of concomitant medical comorbidities contributing to their premature deaths. Elderly patients sustaining proximal femoral fractures, despite high risk of mortality in the first year after injury, have survival approaching those of the general population in the longer term. Elderly patients who sustain wrist fractures have consistently better survival rates than the general population. This group of patients may be physiologically more robust than their age-matched peers in the general population.

Risk factors and predictors of mortality for proximal humeral fractures

“…By contrast to previous studies [4,7], we found that female gender was associated with an increased risk of mortality. When combined with the demonstrated overall increased incidence of fracture in females and the trend toward females sustaining more lowenergy fractures at older ages, this increased mortality in females appears to be consistent.…”

“…Proximal humeral fractures have an excess mortality beyond that of the normal population, estimated at approximately 10% at 1 year [4][5][6][7]. Epidemiological studies have a defined age >60 years, female gender, recent decline in health, insulindependent diabetes mellitus, infrequent walking and neuromuscular weakness as associated with proximal humeral fractures [2].…”

Minorities Are Less Likely to Receive Autologous Blood Transfusion for Major Elective Orthopaedic Surgery

“…It is known that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be insured than whites, in part because their incomes are lower on average [33,38]. We found that even when insured at levels comparable to whites, Hispanic and black patients tended to be less likely to receive autologous blood transfusion for THA and TKA.…”

Is There a Difference in Timing and Cause of Death After Fractures in the Elderly?

“…We could not find 30-and 90-day mortality rates for pelvic and proximal humeral fractures in the literature. Morin et al [16] and Shortt et al [18] compared morality between different fracture sites, but only for long-term mortality (1 year). Patients who had spinal fractures died earlier (within 30 days after fracture) than patients who had other types of fractures.…”