Estimating the incidence of hip fractures in East Germany from hospital discharge statistics

Hip fracture (proximal femoral fracture) is the most serious subtype of osteoporotic fractures. Its exponentially rising incidence with age is causing concern in countries with ageing populations.' 2 Although direct hospital costs for Germany have been estimated to be as high as 2 billion DM (1.2 billion US$) per year, epi- demiological data for this "silent epidemic" are difficult to acquire.`5 The typical health related and social sequelae of proximal femoral fracture are hospital admission for surgical treatment, subsequent transfer to a rehabilita- tion hospital, considerable morbidity and mortality, and, often, the subsequent loss of independence in daily life

Hip fracture · Hospital discharge · Incidence (geometry) · Intensive care medicine · Osteoporosis · Statistics · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Demography · Health and Medical Studies · Hip and Femur Fractures · Internal Medicine · Medicine