Increasing number and incidence of osteoporotic fractures of the proximal humerus in elderly people: Fig 1

Abstract

The most common forms of osteoporotic fractures occur at the distal forearm, spine, and hip. Treating less common fractures (such as those of the proximal humerus, pelvis, knee, and ankle1) is also demanding and expensive. Yet epidemiological information on these is scarce; no nationwide study of the incidence of the osteoporotic fractures of the proximal humerus has been reported. We defined an osteoporotic fracture of the proximal humerus as a fracture occurring in people aged >/=60 that resulted from minimal trauma only—that is, a fall from standing height or less. We selected all such patients admitted to Finnish hospitals in 1970–2, 1974–5, 1978–80, 1983–5, 1988–9, and 1991–3 for primary treatment of first fracture of the proximal …