大学病院整形外科における高齢者手術症例の検討

Analysis of Diseases after Orthopedic Surgery in Elderly Patients During the Past Nine Years

　大学病院整形外科外来を受診した60歳以上の患者数とそのうち手術が行われた患者数，また，手術患者年齢を60～74歳と75歳以上に分け，年度ごとの手術件数とその疾患について調査検討を行った．年度ごとの外来受診者数，手術件数，平均年齢は増加傾向を示した．手術対象疾患のうち大腿骨頚部骨折，頚椎症性脊髄，腰部脊柱管狭窄症は経時的に手術件数が増加した．このうち大腿骨頚部骨折では75歳以上の患者数の占める割合が他疾患に比べ高かった．本研究結果から高齢者では骨折予防などの予防医学が今後ますます重要になると思われた．

　We searched elderly patients aged 60 years or older who had been referred to the orthopedic outpatient clinic of our hospital and who underwent orthopedic surgery in our department during the period 1998-2006. We investigated the number of the diseases and operations with operation records each year in a group between the ages of 60-74 years and a group over 75 years of age. The number of outpatients, operations, and average age of the patients increased each year. The operation number of diseases such as femoral neck fractures, cervical spondylosis, and lumbar canal stenosis increased with time. The relative ratios in the 75 year of age and over group were high in femoral neck fractures each year. The results of this study imply future increases in the number of surgeries, such as for fractures, in elderly patients. Preventive medicine will be increasingly important for the aging society in Japan.