Ten-year survival after fractures of the proximal end of the femur.

Two hundred and eighty-eight patients who sustained a fracture of the proximal end of the femur in 1975 were followed up for 10 years. The mean age of the patients was 75 years. Seventy-two percent were women. Age was the single most important factor determining long-term survival. Other important factors were category of accommodation, sex and place of injury. After 10 years only 1.4% of the patients discharged to an institution were alive compared to 40% of the patients discharged to their own homes.