Epidemiological characteristics of Monteggia fractures in the east and west areas in China from 2010 to 2011

Abstract

Objective To analyze and compare the epidemiological features of Monteggia fractures between the east and west areas in China from 2010 to 2011. Methods The data of Monteggia fractures treated from January 2010 through December 2011 in 63 hospitals in the east and west China were collected through the PACS system and case reports checking system. The data from the 35 east hospitals were classified as group A while those from the 28 west hospitals as group B. The analytic items included general situation, gender, age, and Bado classification. Results A total of 593 Monteggia fractures were included, including 428 males and 165 females, with a male to female ratio of 2.59∶1. The constituent ratios of Bado classification, from high to low, were type Ⅰ (42.50%), type Ⅲ (33.22%), type Ⅱ (14.00%) and type Ⅳ (10.29%). There were 376 patients in group A including 263 (69.95%) males and 113 (30.05%) females while 217 patients in group B including 165 (76.04%) males and 52 (23.96%) females. The median age in group B was 31 years (from 2 to 75 years), significantly older than that in group A [18 years (from 1 to 83 years)] (Z=2.877, P=0.000). The differences in constituent ratios of age and Bado classification were statistically significant between the 2 groups (P< 0.05). The Monteggia fractures predominated in the age range of 0 to 10 years in group A while in the age range of 31 to 40 years in group B. The high risk fracture type was Bado type Ⅰ in group A and Bado type Ⅲ in group B. The Monteggia fractures accounted for 1.15% of the forearm fractures and 0.19% of the systemic fractures. Conclusions More males suffered from Monteggia fracture than females. In the east China, the high risk age range was from 0 to 10 years and the high risk type Bado type Ⅰ; in the west China, the high risk age range was from 31 to 40 years and the high risk type Bado type Ⅲ. The proportion of Bado type Ⅳ in the west China was significantly higher than in the east China. Key words: Forearm injuries; Fractures, bone; Epidemiology