Epidemiological analysis of adult fractures in 5 years. Reports from a Chinese Orthopaedic Hospital over 60,000 fractures cases

Abstract

Background: The epidemiology of adult fractures is changing quickly. Most of the investigations focus on the osteoporosis and single part of the body, little is known about the epidemiological results of the whole body bone fractures. Methods: An analysis of 59,005 patients and 60,402 fracture sites reviewed in a single orthopaedic trauma centre from 2003 to 2007. We choose to review all the 5 years fractures in our hospital, both outpatient clinicals and inpatient surgery patients. An research team was formed by eight experienced orthopaedic surgeons, they were asked to review all the fracture patients’ image database and do an classification according to the AO/OTA fracture classification systems. An orthopaedic professor and a radiology professor were asked to do a superintendent. Results: The results showed that there are eight different fracture distribution curves into which all fractures can be placed. Only two fracture curves involve predominantly young patients; the other six show an increased incidence of fractures in older patients. It is popularly assumed that osteoporotic fractures are mainly seen in the thoracolumbar spine, proximal femur, proximal humerus and distal radius, but analysis of the data indicates that 11 different fractures should now be considered to be potentially osteoporotic. About 30% of fractures in women, 66% of fractures in man and 70% of inpatient fractures are potentially osteoporotic. Conclusions: It is meaningful to analysis the epidemiology of the adult fractures. Improved social conditions and medical treatment have led to an increasingly aged population with an increasing number of fractures in both men and women. It seems likely that this trend will continue, that there will be further changes in fracture epidemiology and that some of the other fractures will soon have to be regarded as osteoporotic. Keywords: Fracture; Adult; Polytrauma; Epidemiology