Journal of orthopaedic trauma
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Fractures sustained in low-energy injuries are recognized as a major public health issue, although, with the exception of proximal femoral fractures, little is known about the subsequent mortality rates. The aim of this study was to compare the survival rates of a population of individuals who sustained 3 types of low-energy fractures with age-matched cohorts from within the same population. ⋯ There is prolonged risk of premature mortality seen in both proximal femoral and proximal humeral fracture groups in the younger age cohorts, possibly as a result of concomitant medical comorbidities contributing to their premature deaths. Elderly patients sustaining proximal femoral fractures, despite high risk of mortality in the first year after injury, have survival approaching those of the general population in the longer term. Elderly patients who sustain wrist fractures have consistently better survival rates than the general population. This group of patients may be physiologically more robust than their age-matched peers in the general population.