Early mortality after cervical hip fractures

A total of 59 (13.5 per cent) of 437 patients with cervical hip fractures died within the first 3 months, compared with an expected mortality rate of 2.6 per cent in the comparable general population (P<0.05). The average age at death was 86 years (range, 62-98). The 3-months mortality rate among patients admitted from institutions was 24/105=23 per cent compared with 35/332=10.5 per cent for patients admitted from their own homes (P<0.05). The 3-months mortality rate for patients with Garden 1+2 fractures was 9.4 per cent compared with 14 per cent for Garden 3+4 (P<0.05). This series seems to suggest that non-cemented hemi-arthroplasty may be associated with an increased 3-months mortality rate of 21 per cent compared with 13.9 per cent (P<0.05) for patients with the same age distribution. This may be due to a relatively high deep-infection rate following non-cemented hemi-arthroplasty. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.