title: Incidence patterns of pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic fractures according to age groups and seasons in South Korea: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractures which need urgent or emergency treatment are common in children and adolescents. This study investigated the incidence patterns of pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic fractures according to age groups and seasons in South Korea based on population data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on the number of pediatric and adolescent patients under the age of 18 years who utilized medical services due to fractures were retrieved from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment service in South Korea. The data included four upper extremity and two lower extremity fractures according to four age groups (0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-18 years). Incidences of the fractures were calculated as the incidence per 10,000 per year, and patterns according to age groups and seasons were demonstrated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual incidence of clavicle, distal humerus, both forearm bone, distal radius, femoral shaft and tibial shaft fractures were 27.5, 34.6, 7.7, 80.1, 2.5, and 9.6 per 10,000 per year in children and adolescents, respectively. Clavicle and distal radius fractures showed significant seasonal variation for all age groups but femoral shaft fracture showed no significant seasonal variation for any of the age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The four upper extremity fractures tended to show greater variations than the two lower extremity fractures in the nationwide database in South Korea. The study results are believed to be helpful in the planning and assignment of medical resources for fracture management in children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Seok
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chin Youb
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: In Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae Won
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Hyuk
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Seung Yeol
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Hyeong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae Gyu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jung Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Tae Gyun
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae-Joon
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Won Joon
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kyoung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Fracture; Incidence; Pediatric and adolescent; Seasonal variation