Clare Sixsmith

Abstract

Elderly People with hip fractures are among the most frail and medically complex of all hospital inpatients. In one sense, the fracture itself is merely a marker of frailty, and many of these patients would have found themselves on an acute medical ward if they had not broken a bone. Despite this, many centres still expect the orthopaedic team to manage these cases with only token input from physicians. This article explores other models of care for elderly hip fracture patients and looks at the evidence base to support the proposition that physicians should be managing hip fractures.