title: Concurrent fractures of the hip and wrist: a matched analysis of elderly patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporotic fractures involving the hip and wrist are common in the elderly. The incidence of coincident hip and wrist fractures in the same patient is small but may represent a unique subpopulation of elderly with osteoporotic fragility fractures and little information has been published about these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review studying a series of 33 elderly patients who were admitted with concurrent hip and wrist fractures and matched them with patients of similar age, race, gender and co-morbidities with isolated hip fractures analysing their pre-morbid functional status, degree of osteoporosis by the Singh's index, length of stay and re-admission rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our cohort of 33 matched pairs, location of fall in the study group consisted of 21 at home and 26 in the control group. The median duration of stay in hospital was 23 days versus 18 days in the control group. Bone density assessment of our study group revealed 18 patients with severe osteoporosis with Singh's index and 21 severe osteoporosis in the control group. The 1-year re-admission rate for the patients in the study group was 7 and 12 in the control group. Ambulatory status at discharge in the study group was 12 and in the control group 21.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study population demonstrated a higher proportion of community ambulators with fewer 1-year re-admission rates and a high cervical:trochanteric ratio of 2.7, all of which signify that they belong to a physiologically younger and more active cohort than our control group of isolated hip fractures. Patients with concurrent hip and wrist fractures were not significantly more osteoporotic, and showed a trend toward longer stay in hospital and incurred a higher cost of stay. The confluent upper limb injury was the likely reason for their post-discharge impaired ambulatory status. The most common location of injury in both groups of patients is at home.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608, Republic of Singapore. benjamin.tow@sgh.com.sg
authors.forename: Benjamin Phak Boon
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Tow
authors.forename: Benjamin Soo Yeng
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fook-Chong
authors.forename: Tet Sen
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation