gms | German Medical Science

Objectives: One-year mortality rate in geriatric patients with a proximal femur fracture are known to be as high as 30%, however the mortality rate in patients after lower leg, ankle and foot fractures are unknown. Objective of this study was to assess the one-year mortality rate after hospitalization for a lower leg, ankle or foot fracture in geriatric patients.

Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, single-center study assessing the one-year mortality rate of patients aged 65 years and older with a lower leg, ankle or foot fracture hospitalized at our institution between 2011 and 2018. Anonymized data was assessed, however trauma, treatment, comorbidity or cause of death was not included.

Result: Between 2011 and 2018 590 patients aged 65 years and older were hospitalized at our institution for a lower leg, ankle or foot fracture. The overall one-year mortality rate in these patients was 11%. The fractures were subdivided into the following categories: 1.1) Lower leg fracture including tibia shaft and/or fibula shaft fracture (n=65 patients, 22% one-year mortality). 1.2) Pilon fracture of the tibia (n=70, 9% mortality). 2.1) Fracture of the lateral malleolus (n=86, 10% mortality). 2.2) Fracture of the medial malleolus (n=26, 8% mortality). 2.3) Bimalleolar-fracture (n=5, 14% mortality). 2.4) Trimalleolar- fracture without luxation of the ankle joint (n=76, 8% mortality). 2.5) Luxation fracture of the ankle (n=133, 14% mortality). 3) Fracture of the foot (n=83, 4% mortality). It can be concluded that geriatric patients with a fracture of the lower leg had the highest risk to die within one year with 22%, followed by patients with a luxation fracture of the ankle joint or a bimalleolar fracture (both 14%). The reason for this high rate compared to the foot fractures (4%) needs to be evaluated.