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. 2010 Nov;1(2):63-72.
doi: 10.1177/2151458510389465.

Prevention and clinical management of hip fractures in patients with dementia

Isaura B Menzies  1 , Daniel A Mendelson, Stephen L Kates, Susan M Friedman
Affiliations

Prevention and clinical management of hip fractures in patients with dementia

Isaura B Menzies et al. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Hip fractures and dementia increase exponentially with age, and patients who are afflicted by both conditions suffer significant morbidity and mortality. The aging of our population heightens the need to recognize the interaction of these conditions in order to improve our efforts to prevent hip fractures, provide acute care that improves outcomes, and provide secondary prevention and rehabilitation that returns patients to their previous level of functioning. Identification and treatment of vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis and assessment and interventions to reduce falls in patients with dementia can significantly impact the incidence of first and subsequent hip fractures. Acute management of hip fractures that focuses on comanagement by orthopedic surgeons and geriatricians and uses protocol-driven geriatric-focused care has been shown to decrease mortality, length of hospitalization, readmission rates, and complications including delirium. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia benefit from intensive geriatric rehabilitation to avoid nursing home placement. Recognizing the need to optimize primary and secondary prevention of hip fractures in patients with dementia and educating providers and families will lead to improved quality of life for patients affected by dementia and hip fractures.

Keywords: comanagement; dementia; fragility fractures; hip fractures; practice patterns; prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Improving hip fracture prevention and outcomes in patients with dementia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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