The effect of physical and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of hip fractures among senior citizens.
Dror Ronel, Yaniv Keren, Aiman Muallem and 1 others
PMID 34798310WHAT IT FOUND
Hip fracture admissions showed no increase during Israel's coronavirus lockdown compared with the same period the year before.
Among patients with hip fractures, a higher proportion lived alone.
Key findings
01Hip fractures were 49 of 673 orthopedic admissions during lockdown and 58 of 753 in the corresponding previous period, with no significant difference.
02Among patients with hip fractures, 28% lived alone during lockdown and 10% in the corresponding previous period, a significant difference.
03During lockdown, 69% of hip fracture operations were performed by senior surgeons versus 48% in the preceding year, a significant difference.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The hospital data did not include patient follow-up, so the study reports no outcomes after discharge. The study covered only the first three months of lockdown and the corresponding 2019 period in one hospital, and the total number of hip fracture cases was limited. Information on fall location was missing in most records, so the study cannot confirm where the falls happened. The hospital operated in emergency mode with reduced elective activity during lockdown, so changes in admissions and surgeon availability may have affected the comparison.
Declared interests
The authors declared no commercial associations or conflicts of interest. The paper does not state funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that lockdown increased hip fractures overall. The main comparison found no difference. The living-alone finding is a higher proportion among patients already admitted with hip fractures, not evidence that living alone caused more fractures in the population.