IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE PROFILE, SEASONALITY AND INCIDENCE OF FEMUR FRACTURE CASES IN BRAZILIAN YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

To compare the incidence of femur fractures (ICD S72) in patients aged 15 to 49 in Brazil, in the period before (March to December 2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March to December 2020), based on data from DATASUS, as well as to assess the impact of social isolation on the incidence and demographic profile of affected individuals. An ecological study with data from individuals aged 15 to 49 who had a femur fracture before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, extracted from the DATASUS database. We calculated the incidence and demographic profile of femur fractures and the type of hospitalization. There was a significant increase in the incidence of femur fractures among individuals aged 15 - 49 in Brazil during the period of social isolation due to COVID-19. The incidence was 165/100,000 inhabitants during the pandemic and 163/100,000 inhabitants in the same period of 2019 (main increase observed in the 15 - 34 age group and decline in the 35 - 49 age group). The North and Northeast regions showed an increase in the incidence of femur fractures and an increase in emergency hospitalizations related to this condition. On the other hand, there was a decrease in incidence in the Central-West region and in the type of hospitalization described as elective. We conclude that during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil there has been an increase in femur fractures in young adults, which may be related to the failure of social isolation measures.