Morbidity and mortality after fragility hip fracture in a Saudi Arabian population: Report from a single center

OBJECTIVE: To determine the functional morbidity and mortality after fragility hip fracture and compare the mortality with three other common diseases. METHODS: Data were collected from patients admitted to King Fahd Hospital of the University, AlKhobar from January 2010 to December 2014. Demographic data included the preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score as assessed by the anesthetist and the type of surgery. Personal and telephone interviews were performed, and data were entered into a database and analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 203 patients with fragility proximal femoral fractures, and the data of 189 patients (109 male, 80 female; average age, 66.90 ± 13.43 years) were available for analysis. The overall mortality rate was 26.98% (51 patients). The mortality rate was significantly higher among patients with an ASA score of 4 (36.36%) than 1 (20.45%). With respect to morbidity, only 48.23% of patients were able to return to their pre-fracture status; 32.35% of those who required assisted walking and 83.4% of those who required a wheelchair became bedridden. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that patients with fragility hip fractures have high morbidity and a mortality rate approaching 30%. Age and the ASA score significantly influence this high mortality rate.