A health economic analysis of the use of rhBMP-2 in Gustilo-Anderson grade III open tibial fractures for the UK, Germany, and France.

The purpose of this study was to determine the cost savings from a societal perspective for recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in grade III A and B open tibial fractures treated with a locked intramedullary nail and soft-tissue management in the UK, Germany, and France. Health care system costs (direct health care costs) and costs for productivity losses (indirect health care costs) were calculated using the raw data from the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Evaluation Group in Surgery for Tibial Trauma "BESTT study". Return-to-work time for estimation of productivity losses was assumed to correspond with the time of fracture healing. For calculation of secondary interventions costs and productivity losses the respective 2007/2008 national tariffs for surgical procedures and average national wages for the UK, Germany, and France were used. For a 1 year perspective, overall treatment costs per patient after the initial surgery of the control vs. the rhBMP-2 group were 44,757 euros vs. 36,847 euros for the UK, 50,197 euros vs. 40,927 euros for Germany and 48,766 euros vs. 39,474 euros for France in favour of rhBMP-2 with overall savings overall savings per case of rhBMP-2 treatment of 7911 euros for the UK, 9270 euros for Germany, and 9291 euros for France which was mainly due to reduced productivity losses by significant faster fracture healing in the rhBMP-2 group (p=0.01). These savings largely offset the upfront price of rhBMP-2 of 2266 euros (1790 pounds) in the UK, euros 2970 in Germany, and 2950 euros in France. Total net savings can be estimated to be 9.6 million euros for the UK, 14.5 million euros for Germany, and 11.4 million euros for France. The results depend on the methodology used particularly for calculation of productivity losses and return-to-work time which was assumed to correspond with fracture healing time. In summary, despite the apparent high direct cost of rhBMP-2 in grade III A and B open tibial fractures, at a national level there are net cost savings from a societal perspective for all three countries.