Cost minimization analysis of the treatment of olecranon fracture in elderly patients: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Operative treatment of olecranon fractures in the elderly can lead to greater complications with similar outcomes to nonoperative treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyze cost differences between operative and nonoperative management of isolated closed olecranon fractures in elderly patients.

Methods: Using a United States Medicare claims database, the authors identified 570 operative and 1,863 nonoperative olecranon fractures between 2005 and 2014. The authors retrospectively determined cost of treatment from the payer perspective for a 1-year period after initial injury, including any surgical procedure, emergency room care, follow-up care, physical therapy, and management of complications.

Results: One year after diagnosis, mean costs per patient were higher for operative treatment (United States dollars [US$]10,694 vs US$2,544). 31.05% of operative cases were associated with a significant complication compared with 4.35% of nonoperative cases. When excluding complications, mean costs per patient were still higher for operative treatment ($7,068 vs $2,320).

Conclusions: These findings show that nonoperative management for olecranon fractures in the elderly population leads to fewer complications and is less costly. Nonoperative management may be a higher-value management option for this patient population. These results will help inform management of olecranon fractures as payers shift toward value-based reimbursement models in which quality of care and cost influence surgical decision making.

Level of evidence: Level IV.