Epidemiology and changed surgical treatment methods for fractures of the distal radius

Background and purpose The incidence of fractures of the distal radius may have changed over the last decade, and operative treatment has been commoner during that time. We investigated the incidence of fractures of the distal radius and changing trends in surgical treatment during the period 2004-2010. Patients and methods Registry data on 42,583 patients with a fracture of the distal radius from 2004 to 2010 were evaluated regarding diagnosis, age, sex, and surgical treatment. Results The crude incidence rate was 31 per 104 person-years with a bimodal distribution. After the age of 45 years, the incidence rate in women increased rapidly and leveled off first at a very high age. The incidence rate in postmenopausal women was lower than previously reported. In men, the incidence was low and it increased slowly until the age of 80 years, when it amounted to 31 per 104 person-years. The number of surgical procedures increased by more than 40% despite the fact that there was reduced incidence during the study period. In patients ≥ 18 years of age, the proportion of fractures treated with plating increased from 16% to 70% while the use of external fixation decreased by about the same amount. Interpretation The incidence rate of distal radius fractures in postmenopausal women appears to have decreased over the last few decades. There has been a shift in surgical treatment from external fixation to open reduction and plating.