Survival rates significantly lower after second hip fracture

Patients who experience a second hip fracture have a higher mortality rate compared with patients who have a single fracture, according to a study recently published in Osteoporosis International.
Researchers evaluated the overall incidence of a second hip fracture and subsequent mortality for 43,832 patients. The patients were aged 65 years or older, with a mean age of 82 years, and had an operatively treated first hip fracture from 2000 to 2011.
The median survival after single fracture was 4 years 10 months, while the median survival following a second fracture was 3 years 8 months. The second hip fracture occurred at an average of 32 months following the first fracture. This rate was higher among females who outnumbered males 7:3 in the study.
The overall incidence of a second fracture was 0.88% at 6 months, 1.81% at 1 year, 6.91% at 5 years and 9.95% at 10 years. Researchers found that 75% of second fractures occurred 4 years or less after the initial fracture. Lower survival was found after the second fracture and for men. Older patients had a minimal risk for increased mortality.
The authors concluded that further studies are needed to help explain the excessive mortality of second hip fractures. They also suggested that early initiation of treatment and fragility fracture prevention programs following primary hip fractures could help reduce second fracture incidence and related mortality.

Reference:

Osteoporos Int. 2013;doi:10.1007/s00198-013-2536-x.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.