A REGIONAL AUDIT ON THE PROVISION OF TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACED INTRACAPSULAR HIP FRACTURES

IntroductionThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) currently recommends the use of total hip replacement (THR) for displaced intracapsular hip fractures in cognitively competent patients and who were independently mobile with the maximum use of one stick prior to the injury.MethodWe conducted a prospective cross sectional study of the management of hip fractures within a defined geographic region in the North East of England to assess current practice and variation in provision of THR for displaced intracapsular hip fracture.ResultsA total of 879 patients with hip fracture, admitted to eight acute trauma units were included in this study. 169 of 462 patients with displaced intracapsular hip fractures fulfilled the NICE criteria for THR. THR was performed for only 49 of the eligible patients (29%). There was significant variation in THR provision between the eight units (0% THR usage to 50% usage) (p<0.001). In the patients with a displaced intracapsular fracture, there were statistic...