OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to compare the real hospital cost with DRG reimbursement rate according to surgical methods in patients with peritrochanteric fractures. METHODS: Reimbursement data of the Hungarian Diagnosis Related Groups derive from the financial database of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration. The real hospital costs data were collected at the Traumatology Center of the University of Pécs in 2003. We calculated the following cost elements: salaries of the staff, implants, drugs, bandage, hotel (accommodation) costs. The salaries and accommodation costs were calculeted for one day from the administrative records of the University. Four different surgical methods were included: Gamma nailing and Dinamic Hip Screw (DHS) providing early weight bearing; Ender nailing and fix angled plate (FAP) osteosynthesis providing gradual partial weigh bearing. The average Hungarian Forint (HUF) vale of one DRG cost-weigh was 100,000 HUF. The exchanga rate: 1 USD = 230 HUF. RESULTS: The average DRG cost-weights: 2.87 for DHS, Ender nailing and FAP osteosynthesis, and 4.47 for Gamma nailing. The average accommodation cost was 13,276 HUF/patient/day. The average cost of wages: 19,985 HUF/patient/day. Drug cost: 404 HUF/day. Implants: FAP: 21,300 HUF; Ender nail: 3,780 HUF; DHS: 33,400 HUF; Gamma nail: 55,400 HUF. The number of average length of stay was: Gamma nailing and DHS: 8 days, Ender nailing 10 days, FAP osteosynthesis 13 days. Comparing the DRG reimbursement with the calculated hospital cost we received the further balance: Gamma nailing: + 122,280 HUF; DHS: - 15,720 HUF; Ender nailing: - 45,610 HUF; FAP osteosynthesis – 171,685 HUF. CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that DRG reimbursement exceed the real hospital costs in Gamma nailing. The hospital costs of DHS, Ender nailing and FAP osteosynthesis are higher than the DRG reimbursement therefore in these cases the hospital produces a deficite during the treatment of patients.