EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CAUSES OF PROXIMAL FEMORAL FRACTURES AMONG THE ELDERLY

Objective: The social and economic cost of proximal femoral fractures is high, due the morbidity and mortality relating to the fracture itself, among other factors. Despite the importance of this issue, studies on this topic are still scarce in Brazil. This was a retrospective, observational and cross-sectional (ecologi-cal) study with the aims of outlining an epidemiological profile for proximal femoral fractures among the elderly and analyzing the causes of these fractures and the physical characteristics of patients admitted to a single university hospital in São Paulo. Methods: This was a study on medical records over a one-year period, with group comparisons using the chi-square test; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Ninety-four in-dividuals were evaluated: predominantly female (2:1); 81-85 years of age; body mass index within normal limits; white an