[Increasing incidence of femoral neck fractures in Alborg]

Abstract

The object of this investigation was to analyse the frequency of medial and pertrochanteric fractures of the femoral neck and to calculate the future number. During the period 1976-1988, 3,099 patients aged over 50 years were admitted to hospital with fractures of the femoral neck. 60% were medial femoral neck fractures. The sex ratio women:men was 2.94. The median age rose from 78 to 80 years. The annual number of fractures rose from 151 to 344. The population over 50 years of age had increased by 5.4%. The incidence increased from 3.31 per 1,000 in 1976 to 7.15 per 1,000 in 1988. By means of linear regression, the frequency in year 2010 was calculated to be 14.5 per 1,000 and the number of fractures 794. During the course of the coming 17 years, doubling of the number of medial and pertrochanteric femoral neck fractures may be anticipated, provided linear increase in the frequency occurs.