Fracture management in elderly patients

Fracture care in a geriatric population should lead to a mobilisation with full weight bearing as soon as possible after the accident. Osteoporosis an d associated preexisting disease influences the kind of fracture care as we ll as the social situation. A retrospective analysis of 888 consecutive pat ients from 1994 to 1998 showed that the fracture risk for a second independ ent bony lesion was 5,2 % in this population with a mean age of 83,4 years (75y-97,2y). 946 fractures were treated operatively with a overall reoperat ion rate of 10 %. 3,1 % were soft tissue revisions due to infection, 2,0 % were because of implant failure in connection with a deep infection and 5,2 % of the reoperation were indicated because of implant failure alone. Dist ribution of complications showed the advantage of closed, indirect reductio n and intramedullary devices and primary hemiarthroplasty in femoral and hu meral head fractures.