Evolving trends in hip fracture patterns among the elderly from 2001 to 2022

Hip fractures among the elderly exhibit diverse patterns. Differences regarding treatment and prognosis of displaced versus undisplaced intracapsular fractures are well established. Unstable extracapsular fractures are associated with considerably higher rates of complications than stable fractures, including cutout failures, non-unions, wound complications and hardware related problems. The purpose of this study was to identify trends in the distribution of various types of hip fractures and their complexity between 2001 and 2022.

This retrospective study compared hip fractures treated in the years 2001, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022, excluding patients under 60 years old and those with pathological or peri‑prosthetic fractures. Radiographs were reviewed and fracture patterns were categorized as stable extracapsular, unstable extracapsular, subtrochanteric or intracapsular.

Out of 2646 patients admitted with proximal femoral fractures during these years, 2277 patients (69.5 % women) were available for analysis. Over the initial decade, the mean patient age gradually increased from 80 to 82, subsequently stabilizing. Gender distribution remained consistent, and the proportion of intracapsular fractures showed minimal variation (36-38 %). The most significant finding was the marked decrease in the proportion of stable-to-unstable extracapsular fractures during the first decade from 51 % to 31 %, followed by stabilization after 2010. Subgroup analysis by age revealed that while the proportion change between stable and unstable fractures remained insignificant in younger age groups (p = 0.41 for sexagenarians and 0.12 for septuagenarians), a significant change was observed in older patients (p = 0.002 for octogenarians and 0.04 for nonagenarians and older patients).

This study reveals a surge in unstable peritrochanteric fractures between 2001 and 2010, particularly pronounced in patients over 80. This trend plateaued in the following decade, aligning with the stabilization of the cohort's mean age at 82. Numerous factors, from bone morphology to systemic markers, influence hip fracture types. Evolutions in osteoporosis screening and treatment over the last three decades may have contributed to the observed shifts in fracture pattern distribution.

Understanding these trends enriches treatment strategies and underscores the need for further exploration of the interplay between demographic and anatomical factors in the etiology of specific fracture patterns.