Incidence of fractures requiring inpatient care

TLDR

The overall incidence of fractures has been studied, but few data exist on the types that require inpatient care, which represent a significant healthcare burden. The study determined the incidence of limb and spine fractures requiring hospitalization among adults aged 16 and older. Data were collected from the Central Finland Hospital trauma ward (2002–2008) using ICD‑10 and NOMESCO codes and additional patient characteristics, and incidence rates were calculated against the at‑risk population. During 2002–2008, 3,277 women and 2,708 men sustained 6,780 fractures, yielding an overall incidence of 4.9 per 10³ person‑years (women 5.3, men 4.5); hip, ankle, wrist, spine, and proximal humerus fractures comprised two‑thirds of hospitalizations, 80 % were operated, and fracture patterns differed by age and sex, with men twice as common as women under 60 and the reverse over 60.

Abstract

The overall incidence of fractures has been addressed in several studies, but there are few data on different types of fractures that require inpatient care, even though they account for considerable healthcare costs. We determined the incidence of limb and spine fractures that required hospitalization in people aged ≥ 16 years.We collected data on the diagnosis (ICD10 code), procedure code (NOMESCO), and 9 additional characteristics of patients admitted to the trauma ward of Central Finland Hospital between 2002 and 2008. Incidence rates were calculated for all fractures using data on the population at risk.During the study period, 3,277 women and 2,708 men sustained 3,750 and 3,030 fractures, respectively. The incidence of all fractures was 4.9 per 10(3) person years (95% CI: 4.8-5.0). The corresponding numbers for women and men were 5.3 (5.1-5.4) and 4.5 (4.3-4.6). Fractures of the hip, ankle, wrist, spine, and proximal humerus comprised two-thirds of all fractures requiring hospitalization. The proportion of ankle fractures (17%) and wrist fractures (9%) was equal to that of hip fractures (27%). Four-fifths of the hospitalized fracture patients were operated. In individuals aged < 60 years, fractures requiring hospitalization were twice as common in men as in women. In individuals ≥ 60 years of age, the opposite was true.