The incidence of distal radius fractures in a Swedish pediatric population - an observational cohort study of 90 970 individual fractures.

BACKGROUND

40-50 % of all boys and 30-40 % of girls suffer from at least one fracture during childhood. A quarter of these fractures affects the wrist, making it the worst affected part of the body. Children often sustain the injury during play or sport activities. There has been a lifestyle change among European children during the last decades, and there is reason to believe that fracture incidence is changing.

METHODS

For the purpose of this observational cohort study registry data was retrieved from the Swedish National Patient Register for all pediatric patients registered with a distal radius fracture during the period 2005-2013. Incidence rates were calculated for each year using data from Statistic Sweden on population size by age and gender.

RESULTS

90 970 distal radius fractures were identified. The mean age at the time of fracture was 10 years. In ages 10-17 the proportion of male patients was significantly larger. Seasonal variations were detected with peak incidences in May and September. A decreasing total fracture incidence was observed during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of distal radius fractures in a population 0-17 years in Sweden was higher among male than in female patients. The incidence was lower in 2008-2013 as compared to 2005. Further studies are necessary to reveal if the incidence will continue to decrease.