Hip Fracture

Physical activity is key for healthy aging, proven to reduce the general mortality risk [1].
A hip fracture represents a devastating disruption of the individual’s mobility. It is the most common serious injury for older people [2]. The demographic changes and uprise of Osteoporosis will only escalate the incidence rate of hip fractures.
Approx. 1.7M hip fractures occur annually worldwide with a projection to reach 6.6M per year by 2050 [3].
Approx. 25% of patients die within the first year after injury [4] (black trajectory), which is in the range of congestive heart failure (33%) [4].
The mortality risk after hip fracture increases by 3-4 times compared to the general population [5].
In addition, 10-15% of patients do not regain previous mobility and life status and cannot return home [6] (yellow trajectory). They need to be admitted to nursing homes and require long-term care.

Orthogeriatric Co-Management (OGCM), where orthopedic experts and geriatricians work closely together considering overall medical condition, cognitive abilities, rehabilitation exercise capability and fall prevention strategies, is a proven treatment technique that significantly enhances the patient journey.
A 22% mortality rate reduction as a result of OGCM treatment has been reported [7].
"The key-goal is: mobilize early" [8].
Mobility is in the center of it - always.
At the same time, OGCM is (1) critically labor and cost intensive making it cost-prohibitive at scale, in particular in light of the rapidly aging society, and (2) only necessary in selected cases.
The health-economic cost of hip fractures will drastically increase in the close future as exemplified below [9].

Hip fracture health economic projection 2010 to 2050 in Germany based on [9].

Meaningful, continuous and long-term mobility data of hip fracture patients is needed to:

Select: Identify patients benefiting most from comprehensive care and those being able to return to their previous life with minimal medical attention.
Personalize: Tailor the treatment to the individual needs of the patient.
Control: Monitor the treatment effectiveness and adapt in a timely manner.

... in a remote-care setting

[1] Oftedal et al., 2020

[2] Neuburger et al., 2017

[3] Cooper et al., 1992

[4] Papanicolas et al., 2021

[5] Morri et al., 2019

[6] Benzinger et al., 2019

[7] Rapp et al., 2020

[8] Pioli et al., 2018

[9] Bleibler et al., 2012