title: Epidemiology of distal forearm fractures in Austria between 1989 and 2010.
abstract: Only few studies have been published hitherto on country-specific incidence of distal forearm fracture. In the prevailing study, incidences were estimated, and trend analyses were performed for the entire Austrian population aged ≥50á. Incidence decreased significantly in women, but not in men, over the past 12 years of observation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  To estimate incidence of distal forearm fracture and assess incidence trends in the entire Austrian population aged ≥50á from 1989-2010 for inpatient fractures and from 1999 to 2010 for all fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of inpatient forearm fractures was obtained from the Austrian Hospital Discharge Register (AHDR) for the entire population aged ≥50á from 1989 to 2010. Total number of distal forearm fractures was modeled using patient-level data on 36,327 patients with distal forearm fractures. Crude and age-standardized incidence rates (cases per 100,000) were estimated in 5-year age intervals. To analyze the change in incidence over time, average annual changes expressed as incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For all distal forearm fractures, age-standardized incidence in women in 1999 and 2009 were estimated at 709 (95 % CI 675-743) and 607 (578-637), respectively. The age-standardized incidences in men the same years were estimated at 171 (156-185) and 162 (151-174), respectively. IRR analyses showed a significant decrease in women (-1.1 %, p < 0.01) but not in men (-0.8 %, p > 0.05) over the last 12 years (1999-2010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidence of distal forearm fracture in the entire Austrian population is comparable to hip fracture incidence which is known to be among the highest worldwide. However, trend analyses reveal a significant decrease for all distal forearm fractures in women, but not in men, over the last 12 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerpl. 2, A-8036, Graz, Austria, hans.dimai@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dimai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Svedbom
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fahrleitner-Pammer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muschitz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thaler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szivak
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amrein
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Borgström
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058866:Osteoporotic Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution