Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025
Imaging of the Microstructural Failure Mechanism in the Human Hip
Published on: September 29, 2023
What happened to hip fragility fractures during COVID-19 pandemic?
Carolina Mazeda1, Pedro Bernardo Santos1, Paulo Vilas-Boas1
1Serviço de Reumatologia - Centro Hospitalar Baixo Vouga.
Insights
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hip fracture admissions decreased, but patient care and outcomes remained similar to pre-pandemic levels. This suggests healthcare system resilience during outbreaks.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare systems globally, including the suspension of elective surgeries and reallocation of medical personnel.
- Emergency departments experienced altered patient volumes, with a notable decrease observed at Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga during the initial lockdown period (March 18 - June 1, 2020).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the incidence of hip fractures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) with the corresponding period in 2019.
- To analyze and compare postoperative outcomes for hip fracture patients between these two periods.
Main Methods:
- An observational retrospective study design was employed.
- Patients aged over 50 years admitted with hip fractures were included.
- Data were collected from the hospital database, followed by a general descriptive analysis.
Main Results:
- A reduction in hip fracture admissions was observed in 2020 (68 patients) compared to 2019 (94 patients).
- No statistically significant differences were found in patient demographics (age, gender, ASA grade) or pre-admission residence between the two periods.
- Key outcomes such as time to emergency department, fracture location, surgical waiting times, treatment types, post-surgical complications, and mortality showed no significant differences. Nursing home patients in 2020 had a longer hospital stay.
Conclusions:
- The hospital's pandemic response measures did not negatively impact the quality of care for admitted hip fracture patients.
- Findings highlight the potential for maintaining healthcare efficiency and quality during future public health crises.
- The study underscores the importance of adapting healthcare strategies to ensure continued optimal patient care during pandemics.
Purpose:
COVID-19 changed the dynamics of all healthcare system, leading to the restructuring of inpatient teams as well as the emergency department. Scheduled surgeries were suspended, operating rooms were closed, and anesthesiologists redistributed among the various intensive care units. At the Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga the number of patients admitted to the emergency department decreased to approximately 8.000 during the period of lockdown which ranged from 18th March to 1st June 2020. The aim of this study was to compare the number of patients presenting with hip fractures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the equivalent period in 2019 and to analyze postoperative outcomes.
Methods:
An observational retrospective study was conducted in two different periods. Patients over the age of 50 years admitted with hip fracture were included for analysis. The data was collected from the hospital database. A general descriptive analysis was performed.
Results:
There was an overall reduction in the number of admissions due to hip fractures in Period 2020 compared with homologous Period in 2019 (68 patients and 94 patients, respectively). No statistically significant differences could be found regarding age, gender, ASA grade and pre-admission residence among patients admitted during these both periods. Nursing home patients in Period 2020 had a longer hospital stay (p=0.03), independently of the functional status (p=0.07). There were no statistically significant differences in the time it took the patient to go to the emergency department after the fall, place where the fracture had occurred, waiting time to perform the surgery, type of treatment performed, post-surgical complications and mortality. There was no relationship between mortality and the time it took the patient to access the emergency department (p=0,487), or mortality and the mean length of stay in the hospital (p=0,151). All the patients admitted to the emergency department in Period 2020 were negative to PCR test for SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusion:
The measures taken by the hospital during the pandemic had no impact in the healthcare provided to the admitted patients. This should be taken into account in order to optimize the efficiency of the health care system in future outbreaks.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the...
01:24Flail Chest-I
Flail chest is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition characterized by the fracture of three or more adjacent ribs in multiple places. It is most commonly caused by direct impacts and trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents or injuries from a steering wheel impact. It can also occur due to falls in elderly individuals with osteoporosis, or assaults involving sharp objects.
Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of flail chest is complex, involving fractures of...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...