The Economic Burden of Femoral Neck Fractures in Jamaica

Osteoporotic femoral neck fractures are increasing as the population ages. There is a significant cost to care for patients with such fractures. We prospectively analysed the in-hospital cost of managing 85 patients admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) with such fractures. The majority of patients were females, 78.8%, and the mean age of the cohort was 83.7 years. There was a significant difference in the mean preoperative delay and length of stay between those patients treated publicly as compared to those treated privately, 9.6 vs 3.1 days and 18.9 vs 8.8 days, respectively. The mean acute cost of those treated publicly was 39% of the cost of those treated privately, J$110 878.80 vs J$284 287.61. The economic cost per year to the country for the acute management of femoral neck fractures was calculated at J$46 264 528.76 which is 0.30% of the 2005-2006 budgetary allocation for health. This cost was significantly associated with the length of hospital stay and the number of complications developed.