[Hip fracture incidence in Germany: analysis of the national hospital discharge registry 2004].
OBJECTIVE
Actual population-based data describing the hip fracture risk in Germany are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the hip fracture incidence in Germany in 2004, using the national hospital discharge register, and to analyze differences between eastern and western Germany.


METHODS
We determined the annual incidence per 100,000 population, correcting for double registrations and recurrent admissions (correction factor 0.89). To compare eastern and western Germany, we standardized data to the 2004 whole German population. Using the Poisson regression with scale adjustment for over-dispersion, we obtained age/sex-adjusted differences between eastern and western Germany.


RESULTS
In 2004, we found 116.281 patients with at least one hospital admission because of a hip fracture, corresponding to an incidence of 140.9 (95%; confidence interval 140.2-141.7) per 100,000 persons. As expected, the hip fracture incidence increased with increasing age. In younger age groups the incidence was higher in men, whereas in the elderly it was much higher in women. The hip fracture incidence tended to be lower in eastern than in western Germany (p=0.058).


CONCLUSIONS
As in the previous decade, the hip fracture incidence in Germany in 2004 was higher than in southern than in eastern Europe. Our data gave a higher incidence than a recent analysis based on data from the statutory health insurance. The difference may be due to methodological reasons (selection of the insured population, choice of the correction factor for double registration and recurrent admissions). Differences in the hip fracture incidence between eastern and western Germany were lower in 2004 than in 1996. Further studies are warranted to achieve valid incidence measurements as a basis for planning and evaluating health care as well as specific measures of prevention.
Icks
A
A
Arztekammer Nordrhein, Düsseldorf, Universität Bielefeld, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften. dr.andrea.icks@aekno.de
Haastert
B
B
Wildner
M
M
Becker
C
C
Meyer
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors