Epidemiological comparison of fractures at the base of the first metacarpal bone between East and West China from 2010 to 2011

Abstract

Objective To compare and analyze the epidemiological features of fractures at the base of the first metacarpal bone between East and West China. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of the patients with fracture at the base of the first metacarpal bone who had been treated from January 2010 to December 2011 in 63 hospitals in the east and west areas of China. The data from 35 hospitals in East China were classified as group A while the data from 28 hospitals in West China as group B. The analytic items included gender, age, age distribution and fracture classification. Results A total of 890 cases were collected. The total male/female ratio was 4.56∶1. The youth accounted for the highest proportion and the high-risk type of fracture was type Ⅲ (44.49%, 396/890). The male/female ratio was 4.59∶1 in group A of 621 patients and 4.49∶1 in group B of 269 patients, showing no statistic between-group difference (P>0.05). The median age in group A was 39 years, significantly older than that in group B (35 years) (Z=-3.687, P 0.05). Type Ⅲ was the high-risk type in both groups; group A had significantly more fractures of type Ⅰ and significantly fewer fractures of type Ⅱ than group B (P 0.05). Conclusions Fractures at the base of the first metacarpal bone mostly occurred in the young males. There were more fractures at the right side than at the left side. The most frequent type was type Ⅲ. The proportion of type Ⅰfractures in East China was higher than in West China while the proportion of type Ⅱ fractures in East China lower than in West China. Key words: Metacarpal bone; Fratures, bone; Epidemiology; Bennett fracture; Rolando fracture