Implementing, Adapting, and Validating an Evidence-Based Algorithm for Hip Fracture Surgery

Objectives: Reoperations are common after surgical treatment of hip fractures but may be reduced by optimal choice of implant based on fracture classification. We hypothesized that implementing a surgical treatment algorithm was possible in our hospital and would result in a reduced reoperation rate. Design: Retrospective comparative study. Setting: Provincial level III trauma center. Patients: The evidence-based "Hvidovre Algorithm" for treatment of hip fractures was adopted and implemented at our provincial institution in September 2008. Three hundred eighty-six consecutive patients older than 50 years admitted with a hip fracture in the first year after implementation were prospectively included and compared with 417 retrospectively included similar patients admitted within the last year before implementation. Intervention: Implementation of an evidence-based treatment algorithm for hip fracture surgery. Results: Eighty-five percent (330 of 386) patients were operated according to the algorithm after implementation, compared with 67% (280 of 417) of procedures before implementation (P < 0.001). After implementation, the overall reoperation rate showed a tendency toward a reduction to 8% (32 of 386) from 12% (48 of 417) (P = 0.1). Among all the 803 included patients, the reoperation rate was lower if procedures had been performed according to the algorithm recommendations: 9% (53 of 610) versus 14% (27 of 193) (P = 0.009). Conclusions: The algorithm for hip fracture surgery was easily implemented, and our results support that using it facilitates a low reoperation rate. The reoperation rate may be further reduced with higher adherence to algorithm recommendation.