Hip fractures drive up healthcare costs in a speedy pace

Hip fractures account for the majority of osteoporotic fragility fractures and for over 40% of the estimated burden of osteoporosis worldwide. In 2010, there were an estimated 600,000 incident hip fractures in the European Union, costing €20 billion and accounting for 54% of the total costs of osteoporosis[1]

As already dealt with in a previous SAFEHIP newsletter article, many studies, reports and analyses of future hip fracture projections reach the same conclusion that the changing demographics will make the global hip fracture rates increase remarkably towards the year 2050.

Next to the human costs, hip fractures put a heavy burden on health economy, as hospital expenditures, social care and rehabilitation drive up costs excessively. It is very important to be aware of these costs, as the awareness is key to investment and disinvestment decisions regarding new osteoporosis and hip fracture prevention interventions. In many cases, if not all, the decisions are driven by profound cost-effectiveness analyses, in which the long-term expenditure of hip fractures plays a vital role.