Current and Future Burden of Hip and Vertebral Fractures in Asia

Abstract

The increase in the incidence of hip fractures over time disappeared in Northern European and North American Caucasians after 2000, while an increase was observed in Asian countries including Japan until 2010. However, a decrease in the incidence was observed after 2010. The prevalence of vertebral fractures in Asians, Europeans, and American Caucasians is similar, and the incidences of clinical and morphometric vertebral fractures are higher in Asians compared with European Caucasians. The decrease in the incidence of vertebral fractures over time has been observed in Japan. Although the stabilization or decrease over time in the incidence of hip and vertebral fractures have been observed, the number of patients with these fractures is expected to increase rapidly with increases in the elderly population. Multidisciplinary measures to prevent fragility fractures are an urgent issue in Asia at this time. This narrative review outlines the recent trends in incidence and future burdens of hip fracture and vertebral fracture in Asia.

Keywords: clinical fracture; incidence; morphometric fractures; mortality; prevalence.

Fig. 1.

Age group–specific and gender-specific incidence of hip fractures in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Data are from references ^{, ,} .

Fig. 2.

Estimates of the number of future patients with hip fractures in Japan. Based on age group–specific incidence in Tottori Prefecture (2016–2018) and future population estimates for Japan.

Fig. 3.

Age group–specific prevalence of vertebral fractures in women among different geographic regions. Data from Minnesota (United States) and Hawaii (United States), Beijing (China), Taiwan, Yamanashi (Japan), and the ROAD study (Japan) are shown.

Fig. 4.

Age-specific and gender-specific incidence of clinical vertebral fractures in Japan. Data are from references and ^.

Fig. 5.

Estimates of the future number of patients with vertebral fractures in Japan. Based on age group–specific incidence in the city of Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture, Japan and future population estimates for Japan.