Hip Fracture Trends and Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly changed the landscape of health care, particularly in the New York City area. The elderly population is particularly vulnerable to both the novel coronavirus and the effects of a fracture. The goal of this study was to compare trends and outcomes of hip fracture patients during the pandemic. This was a retrospective chart review of hip fracture patients from a suburban academic hospital on Long Island, New York, who presented from March 1 to May 30, 2020. Patient COVID-19 status, demographics, and hospital outcome measures were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using heteroscedastic t tests for quantitative variables and chi-square tests for qualitative variables. There were 82 patients in the 2020 cohort and 111 in the 2019 control group, representing a 29.9% decrease in cases. The 2020 cohort presented to the hospital an average of 2.77 days after injury compared with 1.15 days for the 2019 control group (P=.0976). Patients in the 2020 cohort were more likely to be discharged home than to rehabilitation (P<.0001) and tended to be discharged with oral anticoagulation (P=.0809). There was no increase in 1-, 3-, or 6-month complications or mortality. During the pandemic, fewer patients were admitted with hip fractures, and the time from injury to presentation doubled. Patients were significantly less likely to be discharged to rehabilitation and more were discharged with oral anticoagulants. Overall, there was no increase in complications, and these data indicate that the authors were successfully able to provide high-quality care to hip fracture patients during the pandemic. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(5):293-298.].