Ninety percent of the more than 352,000 hip fractures in the United States each year are the result of a fall. By the year 2050, there will be an estimated 650,000 hip fractures annually. This is nearly 1,800 hip fractures a day.

Women have two to three times as many hip fractures as men. White, post-menopausal women have a 1 in 7 chance of hip fracture during a lifetime. The rate of hip fracture increases at age 50, doubling every five to six years. Nearly one half of women who reach age 90 have suffered a hip fracture.

The risk of hip fracture for women 5'8 " or taller is twice that of women who are under 5'2. " Studies show that women who have broken their arm in the past have an increased risk of breaking a hip. Among people age 50 and older who fall, women have two to three times as many hip fractures as men.

• Only 25 percent of hip fracture patients will make a full recovery; 40 percent will require nursing home care; 50 percent will need a cane or walker; and 24 percent of those over age 50 will die within 12 months.
• Nearly one-in-four hip fracture patients will die within 12 months after the injury because of complications related to the injury and the recovery period.
• The cost of hip fracture care averages $26,912 per patient.

There were 220,000 total hip replacements performed in the United States in 2003 (Source: National Center for Health Statistics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey).