Hip fractures in the elderly: surveillance methods and injury control

Injury is a major health problem in the United States that has been viewed primarily as a disease of the young. As a result, the devastating consequences of injury on the elderly population have not been sufficiently explored. Proximal femur fractures (hip fractures), common injuries in persons over the age of 65, carry a mild Injury Severity Score but are associated with high morbidity and mortality in the older population. The author provides a rationale based on clinical and research literature for increasing injury surveillance for hip fractures in the elderly in order that injury care and control can be improved.