Authors: P Kannus S Niemi J Parkkari H Sievänen M Palvanen
Publish Date: 2008/05/14
Volume: 20, Issue: 1, Pages: 43-46
Abstract
The study assessed the recent secular trend in the incidence of lowtrauma knee fractures among older Finns in the years 1970–2006 The clear rise in women’s fracture incidence from early 1970s until the late 1990s was followed by a declining fracture rate Exact reasons for the decline are unknown but a cohort effect toward a healthier female population with improved functionality and reduced risk of injurious slips trips and falls could partly explain the phenomenonWe determined the current trend in the number and incidence per 100000 persons of lowtrauma knee fractures among elderly people in Finland an EU country with a welldefined white population of 53 million by taking into account all persons 60 years of age or older who were admitted to our hospitals for primary treatment of such fractures from 1970 to 2006The number and incidence of lowtrauma knee fractures among 60yearold or older Finnish women sharply rose between 1970 and 1997 from 218 number and 55 incidence in 1970 to 733 and 124 in 1997 However thereafter both the number and incidence of fractures have continuously declined so that there were only 626 fractures in these women in 2006 incidence 94 In the ageadjusted fracture incidence the findings were similar During 1970–1997 the ageadjusted incidence of lowtrauma knee fractures in our elderly women clearly rose from 60 to 118 but thereafter this incidence declined to 85 in 2006 In men the fracture incidence did not show consistent trend changes over time 30 in 1970 and 36 in 2006The sharp rise in the incidence of lowtrauma knee fractures in Finnish elderly women from early 1970s until late 1990s has been followed by a declining fracture rate Exact reasons for this are unknown but a cohort effect toward a healthier aging female population with improved functional ability and reduced risk of injurious slips trips and falls cannot be excluded
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