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. 2020 May 11;91(2):89-96.
doi: 10.23750/abm.v91i2.9636.

Proximal femur fractures in COVID-19 emergency: the experience of two Orthopedics and Traumatology Departments in the first eight weeks of the Italian epidemic

Pietro Maniscalco  1 , Erika Poggiali  2 , Fabrizio Quattrini  1 , Corrado Ciatti  1 , Andrea Magnacavallo  2 , Andrea Vercelli  2 , Marco Domenichini  3 , Enrico Vaienti  3 , Francesco Pogliacomi  3 , Francesco Ceccarelli  3
Affiliations

Proximal femur fractures in COVID-19 emergency: the experience of two Orthopedics and Traumatology Departments in the first eight weeks of the Italian epidemic

Pietro Maniscalco et al. Acta Biomed. .

Abstract

Introduction: CoVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) is a worldwide infection which is causing millions of deaths. A significant number of elderly patients require hospitalization and develop serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preliminary impact (8 weeks) of CoVID-19, focusing on proximal femur fractures, analyzing data and results compared to the same period of 2019.

Materials and methods: From February 22nd to April 18th, 2020 we surgically treated 121 proximal femur fractures (61 in Piacenza; 60 in Parma, 16 male, 44 female, mean age 81.1). In the same period of 2019, we treated 169 proximal femur fractures (90 in Piacenza, 33 male, 57 female, mean age 81.9; 79 in Parma, 29 males, 50 female, mean age 80.2). We had 21/61 (34.4%) patients resulted positive for COVID-19 and 11/61 in Parma (18.3%), based on nasal-pharyngeal swab, chest CT scan and/or lung US findings.

Results: The incidence of proximal femur fractures had a significant reduction during CoVID-19 spread in Piacenza and Parma. Authors have noticed an elevated number of deaths within 21 days after surgery. Piacenza: 4 cases in 2019 (4.4%) and 11 in 2020 (18.0%), of which 9 cases CoVID positive. In Parma in 2019 two deaths were encountered; in 2020 6 patients died and 5 cases were CoVID positive.

Conclusion: In the first two months of the Italian epidemic, in the cities of Piacenza and Parma over 80% of deaths have occurred in patients over 70 years old. Even if preliminary, our study shows a significant increase in death in elderly patients surgically treated for proximal femur fractures, particularly in the Piacenza Hospital.

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Conflict of interest statement

Each author declares that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g. consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangement etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
COVID 19: NATIONAL CASUISTRY (official data from Italian Civil Protection).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Intertrochanteric fracture treated with short intramedullary nail
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Subcapital Fracture Trated With Hemiarthroplasty
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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