A prognostic evaluation of the hospital resources required for the treatment of hip fractures.

A retrospective study of 1,592 hip fracture patients over the age of 50 years was undertaken, recording the age and sex, the fracture type and treatment, the hospitalization time and the rate of technical failures. Based on the predicted population in the area of admission it was calculated that the number of hip fractures will double within the next 17 years. An analysis of the hospitalization time in relation to the various types of treatment and the rate of technical failures made it possible to calculate the hospital resources required in the future. It was found that despite the considerable increase in the number of hip fractures treatment can be undertaken without further allotment of resources provided a rationalized treatment plan is instituted aiming at the safest possible methods of treatment, as the hospitalization time was found to be considerably influenced by technical failures of the treatment.