Significant changes in the surgical methods and length of hospital stay of hip fracture patients occurring over 10 years in Central Finland.

Background and aims: The objective of this study is to determine the changes occurring in the treatment chain and mortality of hip fracture patients in Central Finland over a ten-year period. In order to cope with an aging population and increasing cutbacks in the health care system, health-center hospitals run by general practitioners have taken a more active role in the rehabilitation of elderly patients.

Material and methods: Patients with acute hip fracture admitted to Jyväskylä Central Hospital in 1982-1983 (n = 317) and in 1992-1993 (n = 351) were collected from the hospital discharge register and the medical records of these patients were studied retrospectively.

Results: The median length of central hospital stay diminished from 18 days to 5 days and the percentage of hip fracture patients discharged to cope on their own diminished from 22 % to only 7 %. The percentage of trochanteric fractures treated by osteosynthesis increased from 83 % to 96 % and the percentage of cervical fractures treated by hemiprosthesis increased from 35 % to 76 %. First-year mortality has remained almost unchanged.

Conclusions: There has been a dramatic change in surgical methods, in the length of hospital stay on the traumatology ward, and in discharge patterns and no change in mortality during the last 10 years in Central Finland.