The Economic Impact of Lower Extremity Periprosthetic Fractures in a Large Hospital System

Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) place a burden on hospital systems. They occur in older patients with medical comorbidities, as unplanned events requiring technically complex surgeries with expensive implants. The purpose of this study was to describe this patient population and evaluate the economic impact of PPFs on a hospital system.

We conducted a retrospective study of PPFs of the hip and knee between 2018 and 2019. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition were collected. We performed chart and radiographic reviews to determine the fracture classification and type of treatment performed. An analysis of direct inpatient costs was performed and categorized by a fracture type.

We identified 213 periprosthetic hip and 151 periprosthetic knee fractures. The mean age of hip patients was 77 years, and 71% were female. The average surgery time was 194 minutes, LOS was 5.01 days, and 71% were discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). The mean age of knee patients was 76 years, and 79% were female. The average surgery time was 174 minutes, LOS was 5.12 days, and 70% were discharged to a SNF. The median direct cost of hip fractures was $17,108, with Vancouver B2 and B3 costing significantly more at $19,987 and $23,935, respectively (P value <.0001). The median direct cost of knee fractures was $13,713. Type 3 distal femur fractures cost significantly more at $37,445 (P value <.0001).

PPFs create a significant economic impact on hospital systems. We stratified the costs of treatment based on the fracture type. Significantly higher costs are associated with injuries requiring revision implants.