The male neck of femur

Fractured neck of femur in elderly is associated with mortality which is reported in literature to vary between 20 and 40%. One of the factors which is suggested to be a risk factor is male sex. We reviewed 83 male necks of femur patients admitted over a period of a year to assess the patient's physical status, influence of co-morbidities, postoperative course and mortality. The in-hospital mortality was 26.5% and 1-year mortality was 44.6%. The in-hospital mortality for female neck of femur patients during the same period was 18%. Increasing age, high ASA category and post-operative chest infections were associated with high peri-operative mortality, and fall sustained in an acute hospital ward was associated with high 1-year mortality in addition to ASA grade and chest infection. Patients who had a chest infection in the post-operative period had in-hospital mortality of 46.2% (P value 0.006) and a 1-year mortality of 73.1% (P value 0.001). Patients who fell in the ward as inpatients under geriatric care had 60% mortality.