title: The health economics of the treatment of long-bone non-unions.
abstract: A review of the existing evidence on economic costs of treatment of long-bone fracture non-unions has retrieved 9 papers. Mostly the tibial shaft non-unions have been utilised as models for these economic analyses. Novel treatment strategies like BMP-7 grafting, Ilizarov ring external fixation or supplementary use of therapeutic ultrasound devices have been compared with standard methods of treatment focusing on direct and indirect costs and expenses. A cost-identification query was conducted and revealed costs of pound 15,566, pound 17,200 and pound 16,330 for humeral, femoral, and tibial non-unions respectively on a "best-case scenario". The existing scientific evidence can only imply the extent of the economic burden of long-bone non-unions. Further systematic studies are needed to assess the direct medical, direct non-medical, indirect, and monetised quality of life and psychosocial costs of non-unions.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kanakaris
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Giannoudis
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D005599:Fractures, Ununited / Q000191:economics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000191:economics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy