Tendencia de las tasas de fracturas de cadera en 12 años en Chile: ¿aumento independiente del envejecimiento poblacional? / Twelve years tendency of hip fracture rates in Chile: is there an increase independent of population aging?

ABSTRACT

All hospital discharges that occurred in Chile from 1982 to 1993 were analyzed, looking for the diagnosis of hip fracture. National censuses in the same period were also analyzed searching for possible changes in the age structure of the population. Fracture rates were analyzed for three age groups, and changes along the years were calculated correlating the rates with the number of the year. Results: In the twelve year period, women aged 55-64 years old had a correlation of 0.32 (NS), women aged 65-74 years old had a correlation of 0.58 (NS) and women aged over 75 years old had a correlation of 0.95 (p < 0.001). This age group corresponded to 2.01 percent of the whole population in 1982 and to 2.52 percent in 1993. The mean age of the group increased from 80.7 to 80.9 years in the same lapse. Conclusions: Fracture rates increased in the 12 years period studied, specially among women older than 75 years old. During the same period the proportion of people over 75 years old also increased, but there was only a slight increase in its mean age. Thus, the increase in fracture rates is disproportionate to population againg and could be related to changes in lifestyles