When treatment rates for a common hip fracture go up among Medicare beneficiaries, so too does the risk for adverse outcomes, costs and mortality, new research has shown.

Proximal humerus fractures are extremely common in the elderly and are usually the result of a fall. But surgery may not be the best course of action in vulnerable groups, the study suggests. 

Adults who are older, frail and have more comorbidities are at high risk of complications at one year, reported lead author Sarah B. Floyd, Ph.D., of the University of South Carolina.