[Current issues regarding fracture treatment in elderly patients].

According to demographic studies in Germany about 95,000 proximal femur fractures (PFF) in patients aged over 65 will occur in the year 2030; that means around 40% more than in 1995 (n = 68,233). These injuries lead to very high socio-economic costs and only PFF therapy with a rapid full-recovery could be a useful solution. At present PFF treatment consists mainly of operative osteosynthesis with a mortality rate of only 4% (own study of 100 patients). In contrast, the long-term efficiency of PFF therapy is poor because statistically nearly every second patient requires partial or full-time help. Clearly, postoperative training is, as yet, insufficient. But only a complete PFF therapy (operation and intensive postoperative physiotherapy, ergotherapy and geriatrics) can improve the long-term results, thereby reducing costs and social problems which would otherwise only worsen in the future.