Decreasing incidence of hip fracture in the Funen County, Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture incidence rates are high, and increase with increasing age. Previous studies have predicted a continued increase in both crude and age-standardized rates. METHOD: We estimated incidence rates, based on a complete and validated register containing verified and individually sequenced hip fractures from 1996-2003, for a population of 500,000 people in Funen County, Denmark. RESULTS: The verified number of the first hip fractures was 6,676, with 520 subsequent fractures. Between 1996 and 2003, the incidence rate of first hip fracture fell by 2.4% per year for males (p = 0.02) and by 1.8% per year for females (p = 0.004). The highest decrease of 3.4% per year (p = 0.02) was seen in 80-84-year-old women. INTERPRETATION: The incidence rate of the first hip fracture has fallen in both sexes. In most age groups, the actual number of fractures has also decreased. The findings emphasize the need for valid projection studies which should include both demographic projections and modeling of the effects of different levels of prevention.

Poor results with the Shuttle Stop: resorbable versus nonresorbable intramedullar cement restrictor in a prospective and randomized study with a 2-year follow-up.

In a randomized prospective study we compared 2 femoral plugs as regards probable migration of the restrictor, cement leakage and possible early aseptic loosening. In group I, the femoral canal was plugged with a resorbable Shuttle Stop (HC Implants, BV. Leiden, The Netherlands). In group II, a nonresorbable restrictor of polyethylene was used (De Puy, UK). Both groups were identical as regards age, gender and primary disease. All patients were followed for at least 2 years after surgery. Postoperatively, we found more failures with displacement of the femoral plug and cement leakage in group I than in group II. At the 2-year follow-up, we found no differences in stem loosening or grade of radiolucent lines in the cement-bone interface. We can not recommend the Shuttle Stop for femoral canal sealing in total hip replacememt.