OBJECTIVES : Sport related accidents and injuries are a major cause of morbidity in developing and in industrialized countries. The aim of our study was to calculate the annual health insurance treatment cost of injuries to the wrist and hand in 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 wrist and hand were identified with the following codes of the International Classification of Diseases 10^threvision: S60-S69.

RESULTS : The number of patients admitted to inpatient care was 12,439 (68.6 % men and 31.4 % women) with a mean age of 44.24 years (men: 41.0 years; women: 51.29 years). Number of patients underwent out-patient hospital care was 522,736 (58.3 % men and 41.7 % women and) with a mean age of 36.73 years (men: 34.61 years; women: 39.68 years). For the treatment of patients with injuries to the wrist and hand in 2018 the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration spent 7.058 billion Hungarian Forint (HUF) which equals 22.135 million Euros (EUR) or 26.117 million American Dollars (USD). Major cost drivers were acute inpatient care (64.9 % of total health insurance costs), outpatient care (28.2 %)and medical imaging (5.7 %).

CONCLUSIONS : Injuries to the wrist and hand represent a significant burden for the Hungarian health insurance system. The disease is equally common in men compared to women. There is a significant difference (5-10 years) in the onset of the disease between women and men.