OBJECTIVES : Sport and related injuries are a major cause of morbidity in developing and in industrialized regions. The aim of our study was to calculate the annual health insurance treatment cost of injuries to the ankle and footin Hungary.

METHODS : The data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), the only health care financing agency in Hungary. We analyzed the number of patients and the health insurance treatment cost for the year 2018. The following cost categories were included into the study: out-patient care, laboratory diagnostics, medical imaging, acute in-patient care, chronic in-patient care and drugs. Patients with injuries to the ankle and footwere identified with the following codes of the International Classification of Diseases 10^threvision: S90-S99.

RESULTS : The number of patients admitted to inpatient care was 5,487 (60.1% men and 39.9% women) with a mean age of 47.02 years (men: 43.99 years; women: 51.59 years). Number of patients underwent out-patient hospital care was 400,467 (50.8% men and 49.2 % women and) with a mean age of 35.87 years (men: 32.82 years; women: 39.02 years). For the treatment of patients with injuries to the ankle and foot in 2018 the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 3.463 billion Hungarian Forint (HUF) which equals 10.862 million Euros (EUR) or 12.816 million American Dollars (USD). Major cost drivers were acute inpatient care (54.7% of total health insurance costs), outpatient care (28.5%) and cost of pharmaceuticals (2.4%).

CONCLUSIONS : Injuries to the ankle and foot represent a significant burden for the Hungarian health insurance system. The hospitalization rate is more common in men compared to women. There is a significant difference (6-7 years) in the onset of the disease between women and men.