Studies on fracture incidence have mostly been based on retrospectively registered data from local hospital databases. The Swedish Fracture Register (SFR) is a national quality register collecting data prospectively on fractures, at the time of care-seeking. In the present study the incidence of all different fractures, regardless of location, in adults’ ≥ 16 years treated at the only care provider for patients with fractures within a catchment area of approximately 550,000 inhabitants, during 2015‒2018 are described. Age, gender, and fracture location (according to AO/OTA classification) was used for the analyses and presentation of fracture incidences. During the 4-year study period, 23,917 individuals sustained 27,169 fractures. The mean age at fracture was 57.9 years (range 16‒105 years) and 64.5% of the fractures occurred in women. The five most common fractures accounted for more than 50% of all fractures: distal radius, proximal femur, ankle, proximal humerus, and metacarpal fractures. Seven fracture incidence distribution groups were created based on age- and gender-specific incidence curves, providing visual and easily accessible information on fracture distribution. This paper reports on incidence of all fracture locations based on prospectively collected data in a quality register. The knowledge on fracture incidence related to age and gender may be of importance for the planning of orthopaedic care, involving both in- and out-patients as well as allocating surgical resources. Further, this might be useful for organizing preventive measures, especially in countries with similar socioeconomic structure and fracture burden.
Evolving perceptions regarding receiving orthopaedic care during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic