Socioeconomic burden of hip fractures in Germany

Background and Objective: Treatment of hip fractures is a major challenge for the German health-care system due to the increasing incidence, high mortality rate, and need for long-term care. The purpose of this study was to determine the present and future economic burden of hip fractures in Germany. Methods: Annual costs of hip fractures were determined from a societal perspective, by multiplying individual lifetime costs at different ages by the incidence of hip fractures (incidence-based cost-of-illness study). To calculate individual lifetime costs, a Markov decision model was developed. Secondary data were used. Results: Total annual costs related to hip fractures were (sic) 2.77 billion. Due to population aging, costs of hip fractures may increase to (sic) 3.85 billion in 2030. Conclusion: The result implies the need to identify effective prevention strategies for hip fractures and evaluate their cost-effectiveness.