• Jun-Dong Chang, Je-Hyun Yoo, Pradeep Reddy, Sang-Soo Lee, Ji-Hyo Hwang, and Tae-Young Kim.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Hallym University, Republic of Korea.
• Injury. 2013 Dec 1; 44 (12): 1930-3.

IntroductionContra-lateral hip fractures in elderly patients with a previous hip fracture increase the incidence of complications and socioeconomic burden. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of contra-lateral hip fracture in elderly patients.Materials And MethodsAmong 1093 patients treated for a hip fracture, 47 patients sustained a contra-lateral hip fracture. These patients were compared with 141 patients with a unilateral hip fracture (controls).ResultsThe incidence of contra-lateral hip fracture was 4.3% among the 1093 patients treated for a hip fracture at our institute. A contra-lateral hip fracture occurred within 2 years of initial fracture in 66%, and subsequently, the annual incidence rate decreased. A similar fracture pattern was noted in 70% of patients who sustained an intertrochanteric fracture. In terms of preoperative factors, respiratory disease (OR 2.57, P=0.032) and visual impairment (OR 2.51, P=0.012) were higher in patients with a contra-lateral hip fracture than in controls, and for postoperative factors, the proportions of patients with postoperative delirium (OR 2.91, P=0.022), late onset of rehabilitation (OR 1.05, P=0.023), and poor ambulatory status at 3 months (OR 1.34, P=0.002) were also significantly higher in patients than in controls.ConclusionsPostoperative delirium and underlying visual impairment and respiratory disease could be risk factors of contra-lateral fracture in elderly patients. Early and active rehabilitation after surgery is important to prevent the occurrence of contra-lateral hip fracture in the elderly.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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