Incidence of fractures and changes over time among the aged in a Finnish municipality: a population-based 12-year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence of fractures is high in older populations. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of different fractures and to analyse the changes in age-adjusted yearly incidences among older persons.


METHODS
A prospective true cohort design. Information about fractures in 482 men and 695 women aged 65 or over living in the municipality of Lieto, south-western Finland, was collected from 1991 until 2002. Poisson's regression model was used to analyse changes in yearly incidences.


RESULTS
During 10,040 person years (PY) of follow-up, 307 (26%) persons sustained 425 fractures. The total incidence rate of fractures was 53.4 per 1000 PY (95% confidence intervals: 47.9-59.5) in women, and 24.9 per 1000 PY (20.4-30.4) in men. The age-specific incidence of fractures increased with age in both genders. Rates of hip and wrist fractures tended to be higher in women. 7.2% subjects sustained two or more fractures during follow- up. The majority of fractures resulted from a fall, and only 3.5% were caused by extremely serious accidents. No significant changes in the age-adjusted incidences of all fractures were found in either gender during follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Fractures are common in the aged population, and the incidence of most types of fracture is associated with increasing age. Only a minority of fractures are caused by extremely serious accidents. No significant changes in the age-adjusted yearly incidences of fractures were observed in this aged cohort during a 12-year follow-up.
Piirtola
Maarit
M
Department of Family Medicine, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland. maarit.piirtola@utu.fi
Vahlberg
Tero
T
Isoaho
Raimo
R
Aarnio
Pertti
P
Kivelä
Sirkka-Liisa
SL
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology