Global burden of fracture of sternum and/or ribs: An analysis of 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019

•Worldwide, sternum and rib fractures accounted for 4.1 million incident cases and 2 million frequent cases in 2019. Since 1990, these numbers have increased by 43.7 % and 64.1 %, respectively.•In China, rib and sternum fractures accounted for the highest incidence, prevalence, and YLDs in 2019.•The incidence of these fractures is significantly higher in males than in females. Sternum and rib fractures represent a significant global health concern, contributing to morbidity and disability on a worldwide scale. However, there is a notable lack of recent epidemiological data detailing the global and regional burden of these fractures. We undertook a systematic analysis of the prevalence of sternum and rib fractures at the global, regional, and national levels in 2019, while also examining time trends spanning from 1990 to 2019. To achieve this, we extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, enabling us to determine incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and their corresponding age-standardized rates. In 2019, there were 4.1 million incident cases and 2 million prevalent cases of sternum and rib fractures worldwide. These figures represent increases of 43.7 % and 64.1 %, respectively, since 1990. YLDs also exhibited a notable increase, rising by 62.4 % to reach 190,834 cases. However, since 1990, their equivalent age-standardized rates, which ranged from 5.5 % to 7.1 %, have decreased. Notably, China had the greatest incidence (1.2 million cases), prevalence (573,000 cases), and number of YLDs (55,400 cases), all in 2019. The greatest age-standardized incidence rate (143/100,000) and age-standardized prevalence rate (65/100,000) were both recorded in Greenland in the same year. It's critical to emphasize that men experience these fractures at considerably higher rates than women. Around 70 % of incident instances included unintentional injuries worldwide and across all regions. High-socioeconomic regions had the highest rates of incidence, prevalence, and YLDs, albeit these rates have declined by 6.4 % to 7.1 % since 1990, whereas low-middle and low-income areas have had rises. This study, which spans the years 1990 to 2019, provides a thorough and current assessment of the global burden attributed to sternum and rib fractures. In terms of nations, regions, sociodemographic index (SDI) levels, age groups, genders, and reasons, it reveals significant variances and trends. The knowledge obtained from this study can be extrem