Abstract
Background
It has not been conclusively established whether, or to what extent, the time to surgery affects mortality and the risk of complications after the surgical treatment of proximal femoral fractures.
Methods
Data on 106 187 hospitalizations over the period 2015–2017 involving insurees of the German AOK health insurance company aged 20 and above were drawn from pseudonymized billing data and stratified in three subgroups: osteosynthesis for pertrochanteric fracture (PTF-OS: N = 52 358), osteosynthesis for femoral neck fracture (FNF-OS: N = 7970), and endoprosthesis for femoral neck fracture (FNF-EP: N = 45 859). Multivariate regression models were used to analyze the relation between preoperative in-hospital stay (time to surgery, TTS: 0 days [reference category], 1, 2, 3, 4–7 days) and mortality and general complications within 90 days, with risk adjustment for fracture site, operative method, age, sex, accompanying illnesses, and antithrombotic medication in the preceding year.
Results
Mortality was significantly elevated only with PTF-OS, and only with a TTS of 2 days (odds ratio: 1.12 [95% confidence interval: (1.02; 1.23)]). General complications in relation to TTS were significantly elevated in the following situations: PTF-OS: 2 days: OR 1.24 [1.13; 1.37], 3 days: OR 1.33 [1.11; 1.60], 4–7 days: OR 1.47 [1.21; 1.78]; FNF-EP: 3 days: OR 1.21 [1.06; 1.37], 4–7 days: OR 1.42 [1.25; 1.62]; FNF-OS: 4–7 days: OR 1.86 [1.26; 2.73].
Conclusion
A prolonged time to surgery is associated with an elevated general complication risk depending on the site of the fracture and the type of surgical procedure used.
The high risk of mortality and complications associated with proximal femoral fractures are of particular concern in the elderly. The incidence of these fractures in Germany is 130/100 000 (1). In those over 80 years of age, excess mortality within the first year due entirely to the fracture is 8% for females and 18% for males (2). These fractures result in considerable direct and indirect costs. Femoral fractures require urgent surgery (3).
For many years there have been enormous efforts to improve outcome. At the same time, there has been a shift from hemiarthroplasty to total joint replacement for the endoprosthetic management of femoral neck fractures (4).
The mortality risk after proximal femoral fractures is high for several preoperative risk constellations. These include abnormal ECG, cognitive impairment, age over 85 years, reduced mobility, male sex, care-home residency, intracapsular femoral neck fracture, high ASA score and multimorbidity (5). Hospital size and teaching hospital status, as well as the experience of the surgical team, have a positive effect on the result (6). Recent studies also show the positive impact on in-house mortality of a multidisciplinary treatment approach (7– 9).
Many studies confirm a direct link between mortality/complication rates and time to surgery (TTS), i.e., the time between admission to hospital and time of surgery (10– 16). Other studies were unable to confirm this correlation (7, 17). In particular, it is not clear from exactly which TTS mortality and complication risk rises (18, 19) and to what extent this applies to endoprosthetic management (20).
International guidelines recommend timely surgery within the first day of, or up to 48 hours after, hospital admission (4, 21– 24). In compliance with German external hospital quality assurance, no objection can be found in performing fracture fixation within 24 hours on 85% of patients not receiving anticoagulant therapy or within 48 hours on those on anticoagulant therapy. Of those undergoing hip replacement, 85% should be operated on within 48 hours (25). Furthermore, delaying surgical care beyond 24 hours leads to a significant increase in costs within one year (13).
Accordingly, the guidelines of the German Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) on the management of proximal femoral fractures include regulations on the observance of a time window of 24 hours for surgical treatment and on minimum requirements to ensure adequate processes and structures are in place for clinics treating patients with proximal femoral fractures (26).
Trauma surgery experience shows that intertrochanteric and femoral neck fractures are separate entities. Intertrochanteric fractures (ITF) are more likely to occur in older and more frail patients than femoral neck fractures (FNF). Femoral neck fractures in younger patients are managed by joint-preserving fracture fixation, with urgent surgery indicated within a few hours (due to concern regarding femoral head perfusion). Partial or total hip joint replacement is preferred for displaced fractures and femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. Until now, a delay was considered acceptable to allow surgery to be performed by a specialist.
Aim
The present study explored the hypothesis that a longer TTS after proximal femoral fracture is associated with a higher risk of mortality and complications. The analysis was adjusted for risk factors (including age and comorbidities). Given the different indications for surgery, the subgroups fracture fixation for ITF (ITF-FF), fracture fixation for FNF (FNF-FF) and joint replacement for FNF (FNF-JR) were considered separately. Cases of joint replacement for ITF were excluded since they represented only a small group during the study period with significantly higher complexity and increased risk of complications (27).
Method
Data set
Cases from the years 2015 to 2017 were identified from the pseudonymized in-patient billing data and core data of persons insured with the German local health care funds (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkassen, AOK) who had been treated with joint replacement for a primary diagnosis of “femoral neck fracture” or with fracture fixation for a primary diagnosis of “femoral neck fracture” or “intertrochanteric fracture” and who had no exclusion criteria (including being under the age of 20 years, secondary diagnosis of tumor, multiple injuries; (eTable , eTable 2). These inclusion criteria are based on the definitions of hospital quality indicators for surgery for proximal femoral fractures in the QSR system (Qualitätssicherung mit Routinedaten, routine data quality assurance) of the Research Institute of the AOK (WIdO) (28). For the purposes of this assessment, items of the QSR exclusion criteria were extended to include transferred patients, myocardial infarction/stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) (ICD-10 I21, I22, I63, I64 or G45 as secondary diagnosis) and late surgery from the eighth day after hospital admission. For these cases, it is not possible to reliably record TTS, a diagnosis present on admission cannot be distinguished from a complication, or it must be assumed that there were reasons for delayed surgery which were not due to immediate patient management at the time of admission.
eTable 1. Inclusion criteria.
| One of the following procedures (German procedure classification [OPS]): |
|
5–790.0/.1/.2/.3/.4/.5/.7/.8/.9/.k (Closed reduction of a fracture or epiphyseal separation with fracture fixation) *1, *2 5–793.a/.b/.g/.k/.1/.2/.3/.4/.5/.8/.9 (Open reduction of a simple fracture in the articular region of a long tubular bone) *1, *3 5–794.a/.b/.g/.k/.0/.1/.2/.3/.4/.7/.8 (Open reduction of a comminuted fracture in the articular region of a long tubular bone) *1, *3 5–820.0/.2/.3/.4/.8/.9/.x (Hip joint replacement) *4 |
| …associated with one of the following primary diagnoses (ICD-10): |
|
S72.0 (femoral neck fracture) *5 S72.1 (intertrochanteric fracture) |
*1 site in each case: femoral neck or proximal femur (6th digit in the OPS code: e, f)
*2 except: with external fixation, ring fixator, transfixation nail, plate, other or unspecified
*3 except: with external fixation, ring fixator, transfixation nail, staples, absorbable material, without fracture fixation, other or unspecified
*4 except: acetabular support shell, snap-fit acetabular cup
*5 except: (proximal) epiphysis, epiphyseal separation (S72.02)
eTable 2. Exclusion criteria.
| Merkmal | Ausprägung |
| ICD-10 | as secondary diagnosis*: – diagnoses indicating a cause other than a fall (dislocation or bone cyst, multiple injuries from [severe] accidents, amongst others) – congenital malformation in the region of the pelvis and femur – juvenile arthritis – malignant neoplasms |
| OPS |
5–822 (knee joint replacement) 5.829.c (implantation or exchange of a tumor prosthesis) 5–829.g (removal of spacers) |
| Age | < 20 years |
| OPS + ICD-10 | similar procedures on the same joint within 2 years prior to admission |
* For details see: Wissenschaftliches Institut der AOK (WIdO): QSR-Verfahren: Indikatorenhandbuch 2020, Berlin 2020. Available at: www.qualitaetssicherung-mit-routinedaten.de
Moderating variables und endpoints
TTS was calculated as the difference in whole days between admission date and date of surgery and categorized for the purposes of regression analysis as “0 days” (reference category), “1 day”, “2 days”, “3 days” and “4 to 7 days”. Ninety-day mortality (from admission) and general complications during hospital stay (including follow-on transfers) or within 90 days of discharge were regarded as endpoints. General complications were defined based on the QSR system (29) and include transfusions and mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours during the hospital stay, as well as serious diagnoses, such as stroke, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, sepsis, and pulmonary embolism (etable 3).
eTable 3. General complications Secondary diagnoses during the first hospital stay (including any patient transfer) or primary diagnosis at renewed admission within 90 days of discharge from the primary hospital stay (unless stated otherwise).
| ICD-10 | Diagnostic term |
| A04.7 | Clostridium difficile enterocolitis |
| A40 | Streptococcal sepsis |
| A41 | other type of sepsis |
| A48.1 | Legionella pneumonia |
| D65.1 | disseminated intravascular coagulation |
| F10.4* | mental and behavioral disorders due to use of alcohol: alcohol withdrawal with delirium tremens |
| I21 | acute myocardial infarction |
| I22 | recurrent myocardial infarction |
| I26 | pulmonary embolism |
| I46 | cardiac arrest |
| I49.0 | ventricular flutter and ventricular fibrillation |
| I60 | subarachnoid hemorrhage |
| I61 | intracerebral hemorrhage |
| I63 | cerebral infarction |
| I64 | stroke, not specified as hemorrhage or infarction |
| J10.0 | influenza with pneumonia, seasonal influenza virus identified |
| J11.0 | influenza with pneumonia, virus not identified |
| J12 | viral pneumonia, not classified elsewhere |
| J13 | pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae |
| J14 | pneumonia due to Hemophilus influenzae |
| J15 | bacterial pneumonia, not classified elsewhere |
| J16 | pneumonia due to other infectious organisms, not classified elsewhere |
| J17 | pneumonia in diseases classified elsewhere |
| J18 | pneumonia, organism unspecified |
| J69.0 | pneumonitis due to food and vomit |
| J69.8 | pneumonitis due to other solids and liquids |
| U69.00!* | elsewhere classified, hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients aged 18 years and older |
| N17.[]2 | acute renal failure: []: stage 2 |
| N17.[]3 | acute renal failure: []: stage 3 |
| N99.0 | postprocedural renal failure |
| R57.2 | septic shock |
| R65.0 | SIRS of infectious origin without organ failure |
| R65.1 | SIRS of infectious origin with organ failure |
| OPS | Diagnostic term |
| 8–77* | measures taken while performing resuscitation |
| 8–800.1/c–h* | transfusion of whole blood, red cell concentrate and platelet concentrate (> 5 TE [excl. 8–800.c0], other than miscellaneous [.x] and not specified [.y]) |
| Mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours during initial hospital stay* | |
* only during the first hospital stay (incl. any transfer)
Statistical analysis
The impact of TTS on 90-day mortality and 90-day general complications was examined using multiple GEE (generalized estimating equation) logistic regression models (with logit link function, exchangeable correlation structure and robust standard errors), taking into account age, sex, type of fracture fixation (in cases of fracture fixation), orthogeriatric co-management, antithrombotic medication during the previous year and comorbidities (separate factors, modified from Elixhauser et al. [30, 31]). Comorbid dementia was used as an additional risk factor (etable 4). The analyses were conducted separately for the three subgroups ITF-FF, FNF-FF and FNF-JR. Cases without event, where AOK membership had ended within 90 days of discharge from hospital, were censored. Risk factors were chosen by first estimating six complete models and then removing those factors with a p-value =0.05. Because two models were estimated per subgroup, the alpha-error level according to the Bonferroni method was set at 0.025. All analyses were conducted using STATA version 16.0 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas).
eTable 4. Risk factors.
| Age |
| – 20–49 years [reference category] – 50–59 years – 60–69 years – 70–79 years – 80–89 years – ≥ 90 years |
| Fracture fixation procedure |
| – screw fixation (OPS 5–790.0, 5–793.1, 5–794.0) [reference category] – dynamic hip screw (OPS 5–790.8, 5–793.5, 5–794.4) – other procedures |
| Orthogeriatric co-management |
| The availability of orthogeriatric co-management was assumed to be given for the hospital in the year of treatment if the hospital had billed OPS 8–550 (complex geriatric rehabilitation) in that respective year. The availability of orthogeriatric co-management for the level of hospital care and not the billing of the OPS in the individual case was considered decisive. |
| Antithrombotic medication during the previous year |
| Cases on antithrombotic medication during the previous year are those with a prescription for at least one of the following drugs with a total of at least 90 daily defined doses (DDD) over a period of 180 days before admission to hospital: – vitamin K antagonists (ATC code: B01AA) – heparin group (B01AB) – platelet aggregation inhibitors, excl. heparin (B01AC) – direct thrombin inhibitors (B01AE) – direct factor Xa inhibitors (B01AF) – fondaparinux (B01AX05) |
| Comorbidities |
| Modification of variables from the definition by Elixhauser et al. (1998) (30) and Quan et al. (2005) (31): Instead of the Elixhauser variable “Obesity“, BMI was used in a more differentiated manner (BMI 30–34, 35–39, ≥40; reference category: BMI < 30), and the elixhauser variables “solid tumors without metastasis“, “metastatic cancer“ and “lymphoma“ were not applied due to the corresponding cases having already been excluded. furthermore, the elixhauser variables „alcohol abuse“, „coagulopathy“, „cardiac arrhythmia“ and „pulmonary circulation disorders“ were not applied during the analysis of general complications as they overlapped with the endpoint. |
| Comorbidity dementia |
| ICD F00-F03, G30 or G31.0/.1/.82 as a secondary diagnosis |
Sensitivity analysis
When excluding cases with myocardial infarction, stroke or TIA during the hospital stay, it must be assumed that cases will also be excluded where this event occurred after the operation, thus representing a complication. To examine the effect of these exclusions on the results, additional regression analyses were performed to include cases with myocardial infarction, stroke or TIA during the hospital stay.
Results
106 187 cases from 1017 hospitals fulfilled the inclusion criteria (Flow chart), of which 52 358 had undergone FF for ITF, 7970 FF for FNF and 45 859 JR for FNF. The relatively small FNF-FF group had a lower average age than the other two groups, had a lower proportion of females, and less comorbidity (table 1). In the FF subgroups, 90.4% (ITF, N = 47 334) and 85.8% (FNF, N = 6838) of the patients underwent surgery on admission day or the following day. In der FNF-JR group, this proportion was 74.9% (N = 34 366; Table 2).
Table 1. Descriptive statistics.
| Subgroup | Fracture fixation/ITF | Fracture fixation/FNF | Joint replacement/FNF |
| Number: N | 52 358 | 7970 | 45 859 |
| Female proportion: N (%) | 38 285 (73.12) | 4832 (60.63) | 32 783 (71.49) |
| Age: Median (IQR) | 85 (78–89) | 75 (61–84) | 83 (77–88) |
| 20–49 years | |||
| 50–59 years | 1695 (3.24) | 1269 (15.92) | 1068 (2.33) |
| 60–69 years | 3386 (6.47) | 1393 (17.48) | 3307 (7.21) |
| 70–79 years | 9381 (17.92) | 1671 (20.97) | 11 456 (24.98) |
| 80–89 years | 25 154 (48.04) | 2239 (28.09) | 21 617 (47.14) |
| ≥ 90 years | 12 172 (23.25) | 823 (10.33) | 8259 (18.01) |
| Antithrombotic medication: N (%) | 16 678 (31.85) | 1893 (23.75) | 14 595 (31.83) |
| 16 678 (31.85) | 1893 (23.75) | 14 595 (31.83) | |
| Comorbidities: N (%) * | |||
| Dementia | 15 480 (29.57) | 1409 (17.68) | 13 423 (29.27) |
| Alcohol abuse | 1944 (3.71) | 504 (6.32) | 1328 (2.90) |
| Depression | 5087 (9.72) | 666 (8.36) | 4633 (10.10) |
| Coagulopathy | 4042 (7.72) | 452 (5.67) | 3742 (8.16) |
| Weight loss | 4522 (8.64) | 425 (5.33) | 3726 (8.12) |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 18 055 (34.48) | 1759 (22.07) | 16 489 (35.96) |
| Other neurological disorders | 4714 (9.00) | 776 (9.74) | 4914 (10.72) |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 5500 (10.50) | 767 (9.62) | 4837 (10.55) |
| Diabetes (without complications) | 10 727 (20.49) | 1243 (15.60) | 8649 (18.86) |
| Diabetes (with complications) | 3766 (7.19) | 418 (5.24) | 3 222 (7.03) |
| Hypothyroidism | 7783 (14.86) | 1030 (12.92) | 6864 (14.97) |
| Renal failure | 15 575 (29.75) | 1486 (18.64) | 13 773 (30.03) |
| Congestive heart failure | 12 132 (23.17) | 1121 (14.07) | 10 230 (22.50) |
| Cardiac arrhythmias | 14 976 (28.60) | 1442 (18.09) | 13 103 (28.57) |
| Valvular disease | 3810 (7.28) | 370 (4.64) | 3183 (6.94) |
| Peripheral vascular disorders | 3528 (6.74) | 486 (6.10) | 3166 (6.90) |
| Hypertension (without complications) | 34 787 (66.44) | 4232 (53.10) | 30 492 (66.49) |
| Hypertension (with complications) | 4213 (8.05) | 403 (5.06) | 3796 (8.28) |
Table 2. Admission time, time to surgery, and total hospital stay.
| Fracture fixation/ITF | Fracture fixation/FNF | Joint replacement/FNF | |
| Number: N | 52 358 | 7970 | |
| Admission time: N (%) | |||
| 00:00–05:59 | 5170 (9.87) | 572 (7.18) | 3485 (7.60) |
| 06:00–11:59 | 15 306 (29.23) | 2306 (28.93) | 13 617 (29.69) |
| 12:00–17:59 | 18 636 (35.59) | 3108 (39.00) | 17 705 (38.61) |
| 18:00–23:59 | 13 244 (25.30) | 1984 (24.89) | 11 051 (24.10) |
| Proportion with surgery: N (%) | |||
| … on day of admission | 25 276 (48.28) | 3887 (48.77) | 10 016 (21.84) |
| … on 1st day after admission | 22 058 (42.13) | 2951 (37.03) | 24 350 (53.10) |
| … on 2nd day after admission | 3575 (6.83) | 678 (8.51) | 7433 (16.21) |
| … on 3rd day after admission | 795 (1.52) | 224 (2.81) | 2131 (4.65) |
| … on 4th day after admission | 299 (0.57) | 98 (1.23) | 921 (2.01) |
| … on 5th day after admission | 165 (0.32) | 61 (0.77) | 500 (1.09) |
| … on 6th day after admission | 103 (0.20) | 46 (0.58) | 300 (0.65) |
| … on 7th day after admission | 86 (0.16) | 25 (0.31) | 208 (0.45) |
| Total length of hospital stay in days: median (IQR) | 12 (9– 18) | 11 (8– 15) | 13 (10– 18) |
ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
Fracture fixation for ITF
Ninety-day mortality and general complications within 90 days were 15.0 and 21.1%, resp. (N = 7825 and N = 9895, resp.; eTable 5). The risk-adjusted analysis showed that surgery on the second day after admission was associated with increased mortality in comparison with the reference category (admission day) (odds ratio [OR] 1.12 [95% confidence interval: 1.02; 1.23]) (Table 3, eTable 6). Operations from the second day from admission were associated with an increasing risk of general complications (second day: OR 1.24 [1.13; 1.37]; third day: OR 1.33 [1.11; 1.60]; fourth to seventh day: OR 1.47 [1.21; 1.78]; Table 4, eTable 7).
eTable 5. 90-day mortality and 90-day general complications.
| Fracture fixation/ITF | Fracture fixation/FNF | Joint replacement/FNF | |
| Number: N | 52 358 | 7 970 | 45 859 |
| Mortality (90 days): N (%) *1 | 7824 (14.95) | 635 (7.99) | 6395 (13.96) |
| With surgery *2 | |||
| … on day of admission | 3616 (14.31) | 230 (5.94) | 1332 (13.31) |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 3283 (14.89) | 279 (9.47) | 3276 (13.47) |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 667 (18.67) | 76 (11.26) | 1098 (14.78) |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 132 (16.60) | 22 (9.82) | 356 (16.73) |
| … on the 4th day after admission | 63 (21.07) | 14 (14.29) | 168 (18.26) |
| … on the 5th day after admission | 33 (20.00) | 6 (9.84) | 91 (18.24) |
| … on the 6th day after admission | 13 (12.62) | 5 (10.87) | 42 (14.00) |
| … on the 7th day after admission | 17 (19.77) | 3 (12.00) | 32 (15.38) |
| General complications (90 days): N (%) *1 | 9895 (21.05) | 931 (12.45) | 9264 (22.10) |
| With surgery *2 | |||
| … on day of admission | 4512 (19.80) | 354 (9.59) | 1871 (20.40) |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 4126 (20.85) | 371 (13.55) | 4689 (21.07) |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 853 (27.16) | 107 (17.09) | 1610 (23.70) |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 218 (30.62) | 45 (21.63) | 531 (27.51) |
| … on the 4th day after admission | 82 (31.42) | 25 (27.17) | 258 (30.57) |
| … on the 5th day after admission | 48 (32.88) | 11 (19.64) | 141 (30.85) |
| … on the 6th day after admission | 30 (30.30) | 12 (26.67) | 88 (31.88) |
| … on the 7th day after admission | 26 (34.67) | 6 (27.27) | 76 (37.81) |
*1 Only uncensored cases are included in the calculation of percentages. Cases without an event that were not traceable over 90 days are excluded. The case numbers to which the percentages refer may therefore differ from the number of patients in the respective subgroup.
*2 The percentages for mortality and general complications by day of surgery reflect the proportion of patients with an event within the number of patients who underwent surgery on that day.
ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
Table 3. Risk-adjusted impact of time to surgery on 90-day mortality.
| ITF-FF, N = 52 358 | FNF-FF, N = 7 970 | FNF-JR, N = 45 859 | |||||||
| OR | [95% CI] | p value* | OR | [95% CI] | p value* | OR | [95% CI] | p value* | |
| Procedure | |||||||||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| … on 1st day after admission | 0.97 | [0.92; 1.02] | 0.249 | 1.11 | [0.89; 1.38] | 0.358 | 0.98 | [0.91; 1.05] | 0.565 |
| … on 2nd day after admission | 1.12 | [1.02; 1.23] | 0.023 | 1.06 | [0.77; 1.46] | 0.718 | 0.96 | [0.87; 1.05] | 0.352 |
| … on 3rd day after admission | 0.93 | [0.74; 1.15] | 0.487 | 0.87 | [0.54; 1.41] | 0.575 | 1.03 | [0.90; 1.19] | 0.644 |
| … on 4th–7th day after admission | 1.19 | [0.96; 1.47] | 0.116 | 1.15 | [0.74; 1.78] | 0.543 | 1.10 | [0.95; 1.26] | 0.199 |
| Age | |||||||||
| 20–49 years (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 50–59 years | 4.28 | [1.72; 10.6] | 0.002 | 1.86 | [0.63; 5.49] | 0.260 | 1.88 | [0.58; 6.11] | 0.295 |
| 60–69 years | 7.10 | [2.93; 17.2] | < 0.001 | 3.54 | [1.27; 9.92] | 0.016 | 2.44 | [0.78; 7.67] | 0.126 |
| 70–79 years | 10.9 | [4.54; 26.3] | < 0.001 | 6.68 | [2.47; 18.0] | < 0.001 | 4.28 | [1.39; 13.2] | 0.011 |
| 80–89 years | 20.4 | [8.47; 48.9] | < 0.001 | 12.3 | [4.54; 33.4] | < 0.001 | 7.74 | [2.50; 23.9] | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 90 years | 40.9 | [17.0; 98.2] | < 0.001 | 24.8 | [8.99; 68.5] | < 0.001 | 15.1 | [4.87; 46.6] | < 0.001 |
| Female sex | 0.50 | [0.47; 0.53] | < 0.001 | 0.52 | [0.43; 0.64] | < 0.001 | 0.57 | [0.54; 0.61] | < 0.001 |
Regression models adjusted for age, sex, fracture fixation procedure (for fracture fixation cases), orthogeriatric co-management,
antithrombotic medication during the previous year and comorbidities (for details see eTable 6); * bold print = significant; significance level: p < 0.025 after Bonferroni correction
JR, joint replacement; CI, confidence interval; FF, fracture fixation; OR, odds ratio; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
eTable 6. Risk-adjusted impact of time to surgery on 90-day mortality.
| ITF-FF, N = 52 358 | FNF-FF, N = 7970 | FNF-JR, N = 45 859 | |||||||
| OR | 95% CI | p value* | OR | 95% CI | p value* | OR | 95% CI | p value* | |
| Procedure | |||||||||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.97 | [0.92; 1.02] | 0.249 | 1.11 | [0.89; 1.38] | 0.358 | 0.98 | [0.91; 1.05] | 0.565 |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.12 | [1.02; 1.23] | 0.023 | 1.06 | [0.77; 1.46] | 0.718 | 0.96 | [0.87; 1.05] | 0.352 |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 0.93 | [0.74; 1.15] | 0.487 | 0.87 | [0.54; 1.41] | 0.575 | 1.03 | [0.90; 1.19] | 0.644 |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.19 | [0.96; 1.47] | 0.116 | 1.15 | [0.74; 1.78] | 0.543 | 1.10 | [0.95; 1.26] | 0.199 |
| Age | |||||||||
| 20–49 years (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 50–59 years | 4.28 | [1.72; 10.6] | 0.002 | 1.86 | [0.63; 5.49] | 0.260 | 1.88 | [0.58; 6.11] | 0.295 |
| 60–69 years | 7.10 | [2.93; 17.2] | < 0.001 | 3.54 | [1.27; 9.92] | 0.016 | 2.44 | [0.78; 7.67] | 0.126 |
| 70–79 years | 10.9 | [4.54; 26.3] | < 0.001 | 6.68 | [2.47; 18.0] | < 0.001 | 4.28 | [1.39; 13.2] | 0.011 |
| 80–89 years | 20.4 | [8.47; 48.9] | < 0.001 | 12.3 | [4.54; 33.4] | < 0.001 | 7.74 | [2.50; 23.9] | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 90 years | 40.9 | [17.0; 98.2] | < 0.001 | 24.8 | [8.99; 68.5] | < 0.001 | 15.1 | [4.87; 46.6] | < 0.001 |
| Female sex | 0.50 | [0.47; 0.53] | < 0.001 | 0.52 | [0.43; 0.64] | < 0.001 | 0.57 | [0.54; 0.61] | < 0.001 |
| Tracture fixation procedure | |||||||||
| screw fixation (reference) | – | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | – | – | – |
| DHS | – | – | – | 1.10 | [0.85; 1.43] | 0.459 | – | – | – |
| other | – | – | – | 1.58 | [1.24; 2.01] | < 0.001 | – | – | – |
| Geriatric co-management | 0.93 | [0.86; 1.00] | 0.042 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Antithrombotic medication during the previous year | – | – | – | 1.22 | [0.99; 1.49] | 0.062 | 1.13 | [1.06; 1.20] | < 0.001 |
| Body mass index | |||||||||
| ≤ 29 (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | – | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 30–34 | 0.52 | [0.43; 0.63] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.50 | [0.40; 0.63] | < 0.001 |
| 35–39 | 0.67 | [0.49; 0.92] | 0.013 | – | – | – | 0.69 | [0.50; 0.95] | 0.025 |
| ≥ 40 | 1.04 | [0.73; 1.49] | 0.819 | – | – | – | 0.92 | [0.55; 1.55] | 0.765 |
| Comorbidities* | |||||||||
| Dementia | 1.97 | [1.86; 2.08] | < 0.001 | 2.51 | [2.05; 3.06] | < 0.001 | 2.18 | [2.06; 2.32] | < 0.001 |
| Depression | 0.72 | [0.66; 0.79] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.74 | [0.67; 0.82] | < 0.001 |
| Coagulopathy | 1.41 | [1.29; 1.54] | < 0.001 | 1.56 | [1.16; 2.09] | 0.004 | 1.49 | [1.36; 1.64] | < 0.001 |
| Weight loss | – | – | – | 1.44 | [1.06; 1.95] | 0.021 | – | – | – |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 1.60 | [1.52; 1.69] | < 0.001 | 1.77 | [1.45; 2.16] | < 0.001 | 1.45 | [1.36; 1.54] | < 0.001 |
| Deficiency anemia | 0.64 | [0.56; 0.73] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.52 | [0.44; 0.60] | < 0.001 |
| Other neurological disorders | 1.16 | [1.06; 1.27] | 0.001 | – | – | – | 1.29 | [1.18; 1.41] | < 0.001 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 1.31 | [1.21; 1.42] | < 0.001 | 1.37 | [1.07; 1.77] | 0.014 | 1.29 | [1.18; 1.41] | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes (without complications) | 1.09 | [1.02; 1.16] | 0.010 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hypothyroidism | 0.78 | [0.73; 0.85] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.81 | [0.74; 0.88] | < 0.001 |
| Renal failure | 1.27 | [1.20; 1.35] | < 0.001 | 1.22 | [0.99; 1.50] | 0.063 | 1.25 | [1.18; 1.34] | < 0.001 |
| Liver disease | 2.73 | [2.28; 3.26] | < 0.001 | 3.53 | [2.19; 5.66] | < 0.001 | 2.78 | [2.29; 3.39] | < 0.001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 1.63 | [1.53; 1.75] | < 0.001 | 1.63 | [1.31; 2.04] | < 0.001 | 1.68 | [1.57; 1.81] | < 0.001 |
| Cardiac arrhythmias | 1.32 | [1.25; 1.40] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 1.37 | [1.28; 1.46] | < 0.001 |
| Pulmonary circulation disorders | 1.89 | [1.67; 2.14] | < 0.001 | 1.70 | [1.02; 2.83] | 0.041 | 2.66 | [2.34; 3.03] | < 0.001 |
| Peripheral vascular disorders | 1.18 | [1.07; 1.30] | 0.001 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Hypertension (without complications) | 0.73 | [0.69; 0.78] | < 0.001 | 0.77 | [0.63; 0.93] | 0.008 | 0.72 | [0.67; 0.77] | < 0.001 |
| Hypertension (with complications) | 0.66 | [0.60; 0.73] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.71 | [0.63; 0.79] | < 0.001 |
* Comorbidities with the exception of dementia as defined by Elixhauser et al. (30, 31) with modifications;
bold print = significant; significance level: p < 0.025 after Bonferroni correction
JR, joint replacement; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; FF, fracture fixation; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
Table 4. Risk-adjusted impact of time to surgery on 90-day general complications.
| ITF-FF, N = 52 358 | FNF-FF, N = 7970 | FNF-JR, N = 45 859 | |||||||
| OR | [95% CI] | p-value* | OR | [95-%-CI] | p-value* | OR | [95-%-CI] | p-value* | |
| Procedure | |||||||||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| … on 1st day after admission | 0.99 | [0.94; 1.04] | 0.672 | 1.05 | [0.88; 1.26] | 0.569 | 0.01 | [0.95; 1.08] | 0.728 |
| … on 2nd day after admission | 1.24 | [1.13; 1.37] | < 0.001 | 1.13 | [0.87; 1.46] | 0.369 | 1.05 | [0.97; 1.15] | 0.236 |
| … on 3rd day after admission | 1.33 | [1.11; 1.60] | 0.002 | 1.46 | [0.98; 2.17] | 0.063 | 1.21 | [1.06; 1.37] | 0.003 |
| … on 4th–7th day after admission | 1.47 | [1.21; 1.78] | < 0.001 | 1.86 | [1.26; 2.73] | 0.002 | 1.42 | [0.25; 1.62] | < 0.001 |
| Age | |||||||||
| 20–49 years (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 50–59 years | 1.42 | [1.03; 1.96] | 0.031 | 1.09 | [0.67; 1.78] | 0.718 | 1.83 | [0.94; 3.57] | 0.075 |
| 60–69 years | 1.81 | [1.34; 2.45] | < 0.001 | 1.41 | [0.88; 2.25] | 0.155 | 2.00 | [1.06; 3.76] | 0.032 |
| 70–79 years | 2.34 | [1.75; 3.13] | < 0.001 | 2.00 | [1.25; 3.20] | 0.004 | 2.67 | [1.43; 4.98] | 0.002 |
| 80–89 years | 3.14 | [2.35; 4.19] | < 0.001 | 3.03 | [1.93; 4.76] | < 0.001 | 3.51 | [1.88; 6.56] | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 90 years | 4.01 | [2.99; 5.39] | < 0.001 | 4.17 | [2.56; 6.79] | < 0.001 | 5.23 | [2.80; 9.78] | < 0.001 |
| Female sex | 0.45 | [0.43; 0.48] | <0.001 | 0.40 | [0.34; 0.47] | < 0.001 | 0.49 | [0.47; 0.52] | < 0.001 |
Regression models adjusted for age, sex, fracture fixation procedure (for fracture fixation cases), orthogeriatric co-management, antithrombotic medication during the previous year and comorbidities (for details see eTable 7); * bold print = significant; significance level: p < 0.025 after Bonferroni correction
JR, joint replacement; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; FF, fracture fixation; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
eTable 7. Risk-adjusted impact of time to surgery on 90-day general complications.
| ITF-FF, N = 52 358 | FNF-FF, N = 7970 | FNF-JR, N = 45 859 | |||||||
| OR | 95% CI | p value* | OR | 95% CI | p value* | OR | 95% CI | p value* | |
| Procedure | |||||||||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.99 | [0.94; 1.04] | 0.672 | 1.05 | [0.88; 1.26] | 0.569 | 0.01 | [0.95; 1.08] | 0.728 |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.24 | [1.13; 1.37] | < 0.001 | 1.13 | [0.87; 1.46] | 0.369 | 1.05 | [0.97; 1.15] | 0.236 |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 1.33 | [1.11; 1.60] | 0.002 | 1.46 | [0.98; 2.17] | 0.063 | 1.21 | [1.06; 1.37] | 0.003 |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.47 | [1.21; 1.78] | < 0.001 | 1.86 | [1.26; 2.73] | 0.002 | 1.42 | [0.25; 1.62] | < 0.001 |
| Age | |||||||||
| 20–49 years (reference) | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 50–59 years | 1.42 | [1.03; 1.96] | 0.031 | 1.09 | [0.67; 1.78] | 0.718 | 1.83 | [0.94; 3.57] | 0.075 |
| 60–69 years | 1.81 | [1.34; 2.45] | < 0.001 | 1.41 | [0.88; 2.25] | 0.155 | 2.00 | [1.06; 3.76] | 0.032 |
| 70–79 years | 2.34 | [1.75; 3.13] | < 0.001 | 2.00 | [1.25; 3.20] | 0.004 | 2.67 | [1.43; 4.98] | 0.002 |
| 80–89 years | 3.14 | [2.35; 4.19] | < 0.001 | 3.03 | [1.93; 4.76] | < 0.001 | 3.51 | [1.88; 6.56] | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 90 years | 4.01 | [2.99; 5.39] | < 0.001 | 4.17 | [2.56; 6.79] | < 0.001 | 5.23 | [2.80; 9.78] | < 0.001 |
| Female sex | 0.45 | [0.43; 0.48] | < 0.001 | 0.40 | [0.34; 0.47] | < 0.001 | 0.49 | [0.47; 0.52] | < 0.001 |
| Fracture fixation procedure | |||||||||
| screw fixation (reference) | – | – | – | 1.00 | – | – | – | – | – |
| DHS | – | – | – | 0.94 | [0.77; 1.15] | 0.545 | – | – | – |
| other | – | – | – | 1.28 | [1.05; 1.56] | 0.016 | – | – | – |
| Antithrombotic medication during the previous year | 1.12 | [1.06; 1.18] | < 0.001 | 1.40 | [1.18; 1.66] | < 0.001 | 1.25 | [1.19; 1.31] | < 0.001 |
| Body mass index | |||||||||
| ≤ 29 (reference) | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.00 | – | – |
| 30–34 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0.98 | [0.84; 1.14] | 0.816 |
| 35–39 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0.97 | [0.76; 1.23] | 0.789 |
| ≥ 40 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.94 | [1.38; 2.73] | < 0.001 |
| Comorbidities* | |||||||||
| Dementia | 1.29 | [1.22; 1.36] | < 0.001 | 1.40 | [1.15; 1.70] | 0.001 | 1.54 | [1.45; 1.63] | < 0.001 |
| Psychoses | 1.67 | [1.35; 2.07] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 1.34 | [1.09; 1.65] | 0.005 |
| AIDS/HIV | – | – | – | 7.52 | [1.19; 47.5] | 0.032 | – | – | – |
| Rheumatic arthritis / collagen vascular disease | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1.35 | [1.14; 1.59] | < 0.001 |
| Weight loss | 1.34 | [1.23; 1.46] | < 0.001 | 1.54 | [1.15; 2.07] | 0.003 | 1.22 | [1.13; 1.33] | < 0.001 |
| Fluid and electrolyte disorders | 2.37 | [2.25; 2.50] | < 0.001 | 2.65 | [2.23; 3.14] | < 0.001 | 2.10 | [1.99; 2.22] | < 0.001 |
| Other neurological disorders | 1.23 | [1.13; 1.32] | < 0.001 | 1.38 | [1.06; 1.78] | 0.016 | 1.38 | [1.28; 1.50] | < 0.001 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 1.59 | [1.48; 1.71] | < 0.001 | 1.53 | [1.20; 1.94] | 0.001 | 1.72 | [1.59; 1.84] | < 0.001 |
| Diabetes (without complications) | 1.11 | [1.05; 1.18] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 1.10 | [1.03; 1.17] | 0.004 |
| Diabetes (with complications) | 1.20 | [1.10; 1.32] | < 0.001 | 1.67 | [1.27; 2.19] | < 0.001 | 1.21 | [1.10; 1.33] | < 0.001 |
| Hypothyroidism | 0.89 | [0.83; 0.95] | 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.92 | [0.85; 0.98] | 0.018 |
| Renal failure | 1.38 | [1.31; 1.46] | < 0.001 | 1.23 | [1.02; 1.47] | 0.030 | 1.32 | [1.25; 1.40] | < 0.001 |
| Liver disease | 2.64 | [2.26; 3.09] | < 0.001 | 4.53 | [3.05; 6.73] | < 0.001 | 2.33 | [1.94; 2.80] | < 0.001 |
| Congestive heart failure | 1.99 | [1.88; 2.12] | < 0.001 | 2.21 | [1.85; 2.65] | < 0.001 | 2.16 | [2.03; 2.30] | < 0.001 |
| Valvular disease | 1.33 | [1.22; 1.45] | < 0.001 | 1.48 | [1.09; 2.00] | 0.011 | 1.27 | [1.16; 1.39] | < 0.001 |
| Peripheral vascular disorders | 1.12 | [1.03; 1.23] | 0.012 | – | – | – | 1.14 | [1.03; 1.25] | 0.010 |
| Hypertension (without complications) | 0.85 | [0.80; 0.90] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.83 | [0.78; 0.88] | < 0.001 |
| Hypertension (with complications) | 0.81 | [0.74; 0.89] | < 0.001 | – | – | – | 0.89 | [0.81; 0.98] | 0.019 |
| Paralysis | 1.21 | [1.07; 1.35] | 0.002 | – | – | – | 1.22 | [1.09; 1.37] | 0.001 |
*Comorbidities with the exception of dementia as defined by Elixhauser et al. (30, 31) with modifications;
bold print = significant; significance level: p < 0,025 after Bonferroni correction;
JR, joint replacement; CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; FF, fracture fixation; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
Fracture fixation for FNF
Ninety-day mortality and general complications within 90 days were 8.0 and 12.5%, resp. (N = 635 and N = 931, resp.; eTable 5). The risk-adjusted analysis showed that a longer TTS had no impact on mortality (Table 3, eTable 6). In contrast, an increased risk for general complications was demonstrated for operations performed on the fourth to seventh day after admission (OR 1.86 [1.26; 2.73]; Table 4, eTable 7).
Joint replacement for FNF
Ninety-day mortality and general complications within 90 days were 14.0 and 22.1%, resp. (N = 6395 and N = 9264, resp.; eTable 5). Here too, TTS had no significant impact on mortality after risk adjustment (Table 3, eTable 6). The risk for general complications rose significantly with operations performed from the third day after admission onwards (third day: OR 1.21 [1.06; 1.37]; fourth to seventh day: OR 1.42 [1.25; 1.62]; Table 4, eTable 7).
Sensitivity analysis
The sensitivity analysis of cases with myocardial infarction, stroke or TIA during the hospital stay, for whom transfer to the hospital or delayed surgery had not been registered as a further reason for exclusion (ITF-FF: N = 1369, FNF-FF: n = 126, FNF-JR: N = 1 310), showed no significant difference in mortality amongst ITF-FF patients who had undergone delayed surgery when compared with operations on the day of admission, as opposed to a significantly increased mortality with operations on the second day after admission with regard to the basic evaluation. The results were largely unchanged for general complications. At the same time, the risk for general complications with operations performed on days 4 to 7 after admission was more increased for ITF-FF (OR 1.55 instead of 1.47). For FNF-FF, on the other hand, this was to a lesser degree, yet still significantly increased (OR 1.73 instead of 1.86; eTable 8).
eTable 8. Sensitivity analysis.
| Risk-adjusted OR [95% CI] * | |||
| Subgroup | Fracture fixation/ITF | Fracture fixation/FNF | Joint replacement/FNF |
| Mortality (90 days) | |||
| With exclusion Number of cases: | 52 358 | 7970 | 45 859 |
| Procedure | |||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.97 [0.92; 1.02] | 1.10 [0.89; 1.38] | 0.98 [0.91; 1.05] |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.12 [1.02; 1.23] | 1.06 [0.77; 1.46] | 0.96 [0.87; 1.05] |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 0.93 [0.74; 1.15] | 0.87 [0.54; 1.41] | 1.03 [0.90; 1.19] |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.19 [0.96; 1.47] | 1.15 [0.74; 1.78] | 1.10 [0.95; 1.26] |
| Without exclusion Number of cases: | 53 727 | 8096 | 47 169 |
| Procedure | |||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.97 [0.92; 1.02] | 1.06 [0.86; 1.32] | 0.97 [0.90; 1.03] |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.09 [0.99; 1.20] | 1.02 [0.75; 1.41] | 0.95 [0.87; 1.04] |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 0.92 [0.74; 1.14] | 0.89 [0.56; 1.41] | 1.00 [0.87; 1.15] |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.21 [0.98; 1.48] | 1.08 [0.70; 1.66] | 1.07 [0.94; 1.23] |
| General complication (90 days) | |||
| With exclusion Number of cases: | 52 358 | 7 970 | 45 859 |
| Procedure | |||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.99 [0.94; 1.04] | 1.05 [0.88; 1.26] | 1.01 [0.95; 1.08] |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.24 [1.13; 1.37] | 1.13 [0.87; 1.46] | 1.05 [0.97; 1.15] |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 1.33 [1.11; 1.60] | 1.46 [0.98; 2.17] | 1.21 [1.06; 1.37] |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.47 [1.21; 1.78] | 1.86 [1.26; 2.73] | 1.42 [1.25; 1.62] |
| Without exclusion Number of cases: | 53 727 | 8 096 | 47 169 |
| Procedure | |||
| … on day of admission (reference) | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] | 1.00 [–] |
| … on the 1st day after admission | 0.98 [0.94; 1.03] | 1.03 [0.86; 1.23] | 1.01 [0.95; 1.08] |
| … on the 2nd day after admission | 1.22 [1.11; 1.34] | 1.12 [0.87; 1.45] | 1.05 [0.97; 1.14] |
| … on the 3rd day after admission | 1.33 [1.11; 1.58] | 1.42 [0.97; 2.07] | 1.18 [1.04; 1.33] |
| … on the 4th – 7th day after admission | 1.55 [1.28; 1.87] | 1.73 [1.19; 2.51] | 1.41 [1.25; 1.60] |
Risk-adjusted impact of time to surgery on 90-day mortality and 90-day general complications with versus without exclusion of cases with stroke/TIA/myocardial infarction;
* bold print = significant with p < 0.025 after Bonferroni correction
CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture
Discussion
In this observational study based on the routine data of 106 187 AOK patients with proximal femoral fracture from the years 2015 to 2017, the association was examined between time to surgery in days, on the one hand, and mortality and general complications, on the other, during the postoperative period of up to 90 days. To the best of our knowledge, we are presenting the first risk-adjusted study stratified according to fracture site (with the exception of subtrochanteric fractures) and type of operative procedure which demonstrates the different patterns in the subgroups with regard to the correlation between TTS and mortality rate and TTS and complication rate. At the same time, the analysis generally confirmed the correlation between delayed management of proximal femoral fractures and outcome. In no subgroup, however, was there any difference between operations performed on the day of admission and those carried out on the following day with regard to mortality and general complications.
Fracture fixation for ITF
As many other studies have shown, postponement of fracture fixation beyond the day after admission is associated with increased mortality, as reflected in significantly increased mortality in cases operated on the second day after admission. General complications also increase from the second day after admission. The results impressively confirm the demand for timely surgery for this subgroup.
Fracture fixation for FNF
There was no correlation between time to surgery and mortality. General complications increased only for procedures from the fourth day after admission. Nevertheless, joint-preserving fracture fixation should be performed as soon as possible in view of the fracture-related risk of compromised femoral head perfusion, given that the risk of avascular necrosis of the femoral head and non-union can increase with delayed fracture fixation (32, 33).
Joint replacement for FNF
No evidence was apparent for a correlation between mortality and time to surgery. The general complication rate was increased for surgery from the third day after admission onward.
Comparison with earlier studies
All patients 20 years of age and older with proximal femoral fracture (excluding subtrochanteric fractures) were included in this evaluation, whereas many other studies analyzed only patients 60 years of age and older or the very elderly at 80 years of age and older. In the majority of studies looking at the impact of timing of surgery, no stratification was undertaken according to fracture site (FNF vs. ITF) or surgical procedure (JR vs. FF) (for example 14, 18), so that differences in this respect were not apparent. In addition, different definitions of endpoints make a comparison with other studies difficult. Thus, Müller et al. (20) found no effect of time to surgery on mortality, revision rate and implant failure after total hip arthroplasty in patients with proximal femoral fracture. Although our results regarding mortality agree with their analysis, they do indicate a correlation between TTS and those general complications examined. Finally, most studies do not perform a risk adjustment for comorbidities (16), so that no distinction can be made between illness-related and purely delay-related, and therefore influenceable, causes of mortality and complication rates (see meta-analysis by Klestil et al. [15]). It cannot be ruled out that the negative effects found in other studies are due to comorbidities or anticoagulant therapy (34).
Strengths and limitations
The main strength of this study lies in its large database, which reflects the nationwide care of patients with hip fractures in both large centers and smaller hospitals. Although there are certain structural differences between the various statutory health insurance funds with regard to age, sex and disease burden (35), any possible bias as a result can be countered by risk adjustment according to age, sex and comorbidity, as in the present analysis. The use of routine data also allows mapping of the course beyond the hospital stay.
One of the limitations of the present analysis is that time to surgery can only be extracted from the routine data in terms of days and not to the hour. That means, for example, that time to surgery always amounts to one day if the operation took place on the day after admission. In terms of hours, this constellation can correspond to an interval ranging on these days from a few hours to 48 hours of time to surgery, depending on the time of admission and time of surgery. Furthermore, diagnoses in the routine data are case-related, i.e., diagnoses that existed at the time of admission cannot be reliably distinguished from complications that occurred during the hospital stay. Complications, such as pressure sores which developed during the hospital stay or urinary tract infections, are therefore not taken into consideration. For the same reason, cases with myocardial infarction, stroke or TIA during the hospital stay were excluded but then considered in an additional sensitivity analysis. Subjective parameters, such as pain, cannot be mapped.
Implications for care
In terms of mortality and general complications, the present analysis shows clear differences regarding fracture site and surgical procedure. Prolonged time to surgery has the clearest negative impact for intertrochanteric fractures, while the results are less clear for femoral neck fractures, where mortality is independent of time to surgery.
Other aspects apart from mortality and general complications are also important but were not mapped here. Thus, the majority of intertrochanteric fractures are highly unstable and painful fractures, which also militates in favor of expediting management. On the other hand, by way of comparison, clinical experience shows that fracture pain in femoral neck fractures is better tolerated. However, due to compromised perfusion of the femoral head, even with fracture fixation of a femoral neck fracture, rapid surgery within a few hours is imperative, even though consideration of mortality and complications in isolation, as in the present analysis, would not suggest this. Factors such as pain until surgery, early complications such as pressure sores, or prolonged time to surgery play a role in the endoprosthetic management of a femoral neck fracture, rendering the demand for endoprosthetic treatment as soon as possible understandable, especially since no advantages for postponement can be derived from our data. With all fracture sites, it should also be kept in mind that it is not time to surgery from the point of admission, but the time from the fracture event until surgery which is likely to be decisive for the development of complications.
Overall, unless there are other reasons to the contrary, prompt treatment of all proximal femoral fractures is advisable. A structural adjustment of the reality of current care along the lines of legally binding specifications to fulfil clear process and structural requirements, even to the extent of priority referral to suitable centers, is the logical consequence.
Figure.
Case selection
JR, joint replacement; CI, confidence interval; SD, secondary diagnosis; OR, odds ratio;
FF, fracture fixation; ITF, intertrochanteric fracture; FNF, femoral neck fracture;
TIA, transient ischemic attack
Acknowledgments
Translated from the original German by Dr. Grahame Larkin, MD
Footnotes
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that no conflicts of interest exists.
References
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