Clinical characteristics of emergency patients with acute traumatic fractures

Fractures are among the most common traumatic injuries worldwide, with distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures being particularly prevalent[1,2]. These fractures not only affect patients’ quality of life but also impose a significant economic burden. Although there is extensive research on distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures individually, comparative studies between the two are relatively scarce. Therefore, we analyzed clinical data from patients with distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures treated at our hospital to explore the differences between these two types of fractures.

Methods and findings

This retrospective study included patients treated for distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures at our hospital from January 2020 to February 2025. Data collected included gender, age, length of hospital stay, treatment methods, preoperative preparation time, and total hospitalization costs. Statistical analysis was performed on all data to analyze the characteristics of patients with distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures.

During the study period, 204 patients with distal radius fractures and 124 patients with femoral neck fractures were included. Among distal radius fracture patients, 50% were male and 50% were female, with no statistically significant gender difference. Among femoral neck fracture patients, 45.16% were male and 54.84% were female, also with no statistically significant gender difference. The average age of distal radius fracture patients was 48.49 ± 14.51 years, while that of femoral neck fracture patients was 62.80 ± 17.64 years, showing a statistically significant difference. The average length of hospital stay for distal radius fracture patients was 8.31 ± 5.24 days, compared to 12.60 ± 6.96 days for femoral neck fracture patients, also statistically significant. Surgical treatment was performed in 80.88% of distal radius fracture patients and 80.65% of femoral neck fracture patients, with no statistically significant difference. The preoperative preparation time was 4.25 ± 2.55 days for distal radius fracture patients and 5.30 ± 3.31 days for femoral neck fracture patients, showing a statistically significant difference. The total hospitalization cost was 22,200.56 ± 13,295.27 yuan for distal radius fracture patients and 39,334.46 ± 27,283.70 yuan for femoral neck fracture patients, with a statistically significant difference.

Conclusion

This study revealed significant differences in clinical characteristics between patients with distal radius fractures and femoral neck fractures, particularly in age, length of hospital stay, preoperative preparation time, and hospitalization costs. Femoral neck fractures were more common in elderly patients, with longer preoperative preparation times, longer hospital stays, and higher treatment costs. In contrast, distal radius fracture patients were younger, with shorter preoperative preparation times, shorter hospital stays, and lower treatment costs.