Abstract
Introduction: It is well documented that surgery following hip fractures (#NOF) has accepted failure rates of between four and 33%. An average of 120 patients are admitted to Wellington hospital for #NOF each year.
Aim: We aimed to identify the rate of and reasons for readmission for further surgery within a year of #NOF in patients admitted to Wellington hospital.
Methods: A list of all patients admitted for surgical treatment of hip fractures during 1998 and 1999 was obtained from the hospital database. Demographic data, type of fracture, surgical intervention, readmission for surgery on the same hip and subsequent surgical intervention for each patient were noted.
Results: Of the 209 patients who underwent surgery for 215 fractures, 55% (n=119) sustained subcapital, 43% (n=92) intertrochanteric and 2% (n=4) other fractures. Seven percent (n=15) were readmitted for a second hip operation within twelve months. Eighty percent (n=12) of those who were readmitted had sustained sub-capital fractures. Of those in the readmission group primary surgery comprised ORIF with cannulated screws (40%), compression screw with or without one cannulated screw and plate (40%), hemiarthroplasty (HA) (13%) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) (7%).
For patients who had sustained a subcapital fracture (n=117), 21% (P< 0.05) of those who had been treated with cannulated screws required further surgery compared with 2–14% who had the other types of surgery.
Conclusions: Rates of readmission for further hip surgery following hip fracture in Wellington hospital appear to be in the lower range of those reported elsewhere.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor A. J. Thurston. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Department of Surgery, Wellington School of Medicine, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand
