Calcified tissue international
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Low-trauma fractures of elderly persons are a major public health problem. However, epidemiologic knowledge on their fresh secular trends is scarce. Trends in the number and incidence (per 100,000 persons) of low-trauma fractures of the pelvic ring among older Finns were assessed by taking into account individuals 80-year-old or older who were admitted to Finnish hospitals for primary treatment of such injury in 1970-2013. ⋯ If the fracture incidence continues to rise at the same rates as in 1970-2013 and the size of the 80-year-old or older population of Finland increases as predicted (87 % by the year 2030), the number low-trauma pelvic fractures in this population will be 2.4 times higher in the year 2030 (2550 fractures) than it was in 2013 (1055 fractures). The number of low-trauma fractures of the pelvis among Finns 80 years of age or older has risen sharply between 1970 and 2013-with a rate that cannot be explained merely by demographic changes. Further studies are urgently needed to better assess the reasons for the rise and possibilities for fracture prevention.
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To reduce the burden of fracture, not only does bone fragility need to be addressed, but also injury prevention. Thus, fracture epidemiology irrespective of degree of trauma is informative. We aimed to determine age-and-sex-specific fracture incidence rates for the Barwon Statistical Division, Australia, 2006-2007. ⋯ For ankle fractures, there was an increase during childhood and adolescence but this extended into early adult life; in contrast to females, there were no further age-related increases. An adolescent-young adult peak incidence was observed for fractures of the face, clavicle, carpal bones, hand, fingers, foot and toe, without further age-related increases. Examining patterns of fracture provides the evidence base for monitoring temporal changes in fracture burden, and for identifying high-incidence groups to which fracture prevention strategies could be directed.