title: One-year mortality after acetabular fractures in elderly patients presenting to a level-1 trauma center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 1-year mortality of elderly patients after isolated acetabular fractures treated both operatively and nonoperatively, and compared with nonisolated fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single level 1 trauma center.
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive patients who were 60 years of age and older were treated for acetabular fractures over a 12-year period (n = 176).
  
  
  METHODS
  Operative and nonoperative management.
  
  
  METHODS
  1-year mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exclusion criteria for the isolated group included associated injuries to other body systems (Abbreviated Injury Score >2), long bone fractures, and concurrent sacral fractures. Mortality data were obtained from the Social Security Death Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The isolated group (n = 86) had an average age of 71.1 ± 7.1 years with 64.0% fractures treated operatively. Mortality rates for the isolated group at 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 2.3%, 5.8%, 8.1%, and 8.1%, respectively. No significant differences in mortality rates were seen between operative and nonoperative patients across all time points for the isolated group (P = 0.093-0.346). Mortality rates were lower at all time points for the isolated group than for the nonisolated group (n = 90; P = 0.0002-0.02). However, the 1-year postdischarge mortality rates for patients who were discharged from the hospital were similar for the nonisolated and isolated groups (6.8% vs. 7.1%; P = 0.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mortality rates for elderly patients with isolated acetabular fractures were found to be significantly lower than those for acetabular fractures with concurrent injuries. Age was identified as the only significant variable differing between patients treated operatively versus nonoperatively, as opposed to medical comorbidities in the isolated acetabular fracture group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Trauma, Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Jesse E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bible
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: D Jake
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.forename: Rishin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kadakia
authors.forename: Justin E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Hassan R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Mir
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000293:injuries*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data