title: Epidemiology of adult ankle fractures in Sweden between 1987 and 2004: a population-based study of 91,410 Swedish inpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous national epidemiological data on the characteristics and trends of patients with ankle fractures have been limited. We therefore analyzed data on Swedish inpatients with ankle fractures in this nationwide population study, based on data from 1987 through 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on all inpatients aged 15 years and older with ankle fracture were extracted from the Swedish National Patient Register for the period 1987-2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 91,410 hospital admissions with ankle fracture, corresponding to an annual incidence rate of 71 per 10(5) person-years. During the study period, the number of hospital admissions increased by 0.2% annually, mainly from increase in fracture incidence in the elderly women. Mean age at admission was 45 (SD 19) years for men and 58 (18) for women. The major mechanism of injury was falling at the same level (64%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This nationwide study of inpatients with ankle fractures showed an increase in fracture incidence, particularly in elderly women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Section of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. charlotte.karlsson-thur@karolinska.se
authors.forename: Charlotte K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Thur
authors.forename: Gustaf
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Edgren
authors.forename: Karl-Åke
authors.initials: KÅ
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wretenberg
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult