Grant: Operating Grant

Each year, 280,000 Americans and 36,000 Canadians break (fracture) a hip. This is a significant cost to the health care system with estimated annual costs reaching a staggering $9.8 billion in the United States and $650 million in Canada. Globally, hip fractures rank in the top 10 causes of disability. While most of these fractures occur in adults over age 65, approximately 100,000 hip fractures occur in patients under age 50 each year worldwide. Hip fractures in younger adults are typically the result of car accidents and other high-energy traumas. Despite the use of modern surgical techniques, 25% of these patients will experience a major fracture healing complication. One factor that may be contributing to their high complication rate is low vitamin D levels. Approximately 75% of trauma patients have vitamin D levels that are too low to maintain adequate bone health. While there is significant research for elderly fractures, there is very little guidance for treating younger adults. We will complete a preliminary (pilot) clinical trial comparing two common surgical treatments, as well as comparing vitamin D supplementation vs placebo tablets on the rates of complications and quality of life in patients under age 60. The pilot study will enroll a total of 50 patients across 10 hospitals in Canada, USA, and India. The purpose of completing a pilot study is to demonstrate a larger definitive trial is feasible and to ensure Canadian taxpayer funding is used efficiently. Our research group has performed extensive preliminary work to ensure we are proposing a high-impact clinical trial that will benefit the health of Canadians and those abroad. We have experience in completing similar clinical trials that have established Canadian researchers at the forefront of fracture care trials. Our research will benefit the lives of patients who suffer these devastating hip fractures and may also lead to future research that will benefit other patients with difficult fractures.