PURPOSE: To determine the impact of an earthquake during COVID-19 lockdown on fracture admission at a tertiary trauma centre in Croatia. METHODS: A case-control study was performed at the tertiary trauma centre registry. Two different periods were studied. The case group included a period during COVID-19 lockdown right after the earthquakes until the end of the confinement period in Croatia. And the control group corresponded to the equivalent period in 2019. We identified all consecutive patients who were admitted due to urgent care requirements for the musculoskeletal trauma. Patient's demographic data and admitting diagnoses were assessed. Data were analyzed by statistical procedures using the program MedCalc statistical software version 16.4.3. RESULTS: We identified 178 emergency admissions due to musculoskeletal trauma. During the COVID-19 lockdown and post-earthquake period, there was a drastic reduction in total admissions (359 vs. 662; p < 0.0001) with an increased proportion of trauma admissions within the emergency admissions (34.9% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.02926, Z = -2.1825). Furthermore, in the case group there was a significant increase in hospital admissions due to ankle/foot trauma (11 vs. 2, p = 0.0126) and a trend towards a decrease in the admissions due to tibia fractures (5 vs. 12, p = 0.0896), however without statistical significance. Also, an increased proportion of women within the group of femoral fractures in both case group (81.6% vs. 52.6%, p = 0.00194, Z = 3.1033) and the control group (82.3% vs. 60.5%, p = 0.0232, Z = 2.2742) was observed. In both analyzed periods, the osteoporotic hip fracture was the most common independent admitting diagnosis. CONCLUSION It is crucial to understand how natural disasters like earthquakes influence the pattern of trauma admissions during a coexisting pandemic. Accordingly, healthcare systems have to be prepared for an increased influx of certain pathology, like foot and ankle trauma.
COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Communicable Disease Control ; Croatia/epidemiology* ; Earthquakes ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Trauma Centers

BACKGROUND: The Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study was launched to investigate risk factors for osteoporotic fractures, interactions of osteoporosis with other non-communicable chronic diseases, and effects of fracture on QOL and mortality. METHODS: FORMEN baseline study participants (in 2007 and 2008) included 2012 community-dwelling men (aged 65-93 years) in Nara prefecture, Japan. Clinical follow-up surveys were conducted 5 and 10 years after the baseline survey, and 1539 and 906 men completed them, respectively. Supplemental mail, telephone, and visit surveys were conducted with non-participants to obtain outcome information. Survival and fracture outcomes were determined for 2006 men, with 566 deaths identified and 1233 men remaining in the cohort at 10-year follow-up. COMMENTS The baseline survey covered a wide range of bone health-related indices including bone mineral density, trabecular microarchitecture assessment, vertebral imaging for detecting vertebral fractures, and biochemical markers of bone turnover, as well as comprehensive geriatric assessment items. Follow-up surveys were conducted to obtain outcomes including osteoporotic fracture, cardiovascular diseases, initiation of long-term care, and mortality. A complete list of publications relating to the FORMEN study can be found at https://www.med.kindai.ac.jp/pubheal/FORMEN/Publications.html .
Aged ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Independent Living ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Long-Term Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/etiology* ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: To investigate the characteristics of patients with osteoporotic fractures (OF) who visited the emergency room, we analyzed the frequency and distribution of primary and secondary OF.METHODS: From March 2015 to April 2017, 406 patients with OF were assigned to wrist (W; n=132), spine (S; n=78), and hip (H; n=196) according to the site. All subjects were classified as having primary fracture or secondary fracture. Age, fracture site, the risk of future fracture using Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) were compared.RESULTS: The mean age at fracture site was significantly different among the 3 groups, groups W (66.57±10.03), S (73.50±9.07), and H (78.50±7.72). The most common site of OF were in the order of wrist, spine, and hip with the increase of age. The FRAX scores significantly increased (P<0.001) in the order of W (8.35±5.67), S (10.74±6.99), and H (13.88±7.98) in total patient, and same in primary fracture group (W, 7.50±4.18; S, 9.76±5.91; H, 11.93±6.61; P<0.001). The main site of prior fractures in secondary fracture was same lesion, which means that the prior fracture of secondary wrist fracture was wrist fracture such as spine for spine, hip for hip.CONCLUSIONS: We determined that as age increasing, the major sites of OF were different and FRAX scores increased. The most common site for secondary fracture was the same one. Hence, the risk of subsequent fracture in same site should be noted after patient suffered OF.
Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Epidemiology ; Hip ; Humans ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Referral and Consultation ; Risk Assessment ; Spine ; Wrist

PURPOSE: To assess the association between frailty and osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) and to evaluate the relationship between numbers of OVCFs and frailty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 760 subjects, including 59 patients (with OVCF) and 701 controls (without OVCF). Successful matching provided 56 patient-control pairs. We analyzed principal clinical and demographic information, which included sex, age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), variable frailty phenotypes, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) scores. The association between frailty and OVCF was ascertained. In addition, the degrees of disability and quality of life attributable to frailty were determined. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was significantly higher in the OVCF group than in the control group (p < 0.001). Most of the frailty phenotypes, such as exhaustion, physical inactivity, slowness, and handgrip strength, were also significantly observed in the OVCF group. Within the OVCF group, the participants with frailty had significantly higher disability and lower quality of life than those in a robust state (p < 0.001 for ODI and EQ-5D). In addition, the multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the patients with low BMI [odds ratio (OR)=0.704; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.543–0.913] and ≥3 fractures (OR=9.213; 95% CI, 1.529–55.501) within the OVCF group were associated with higher odds of frailty. CONCLUSION: The present study showed significant relationships between frailty and OVCF, severity of symptoms, and disability induced by OVCF. Furthermore, frailty could be a causal and/or resulting factor of OVCFs.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Fractures, Compression/*complications/*epidemiology ; Frailty/*complications/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporotic Fractures/*complications/etiology ; Prevalence ; Propensity Score ; Quality of Life ; Spinal Fractures/*complications/*epidemiology ; Treatment Outcome

The aging of the Korean population is expected to increase the prevalence of osteoporosis and related fractures. This study aimed to perform an intensive review of osteoporosis and related fractures in Korea during the last decade. Although direct comparison of the prevalence of osteoporosis reported in different studies is difficult, the prevalence of osteoporosis reported in the last decade has ranged from 6.1% in men and 24.3% in women to 13.1% in men and 35.5% in women in studies of Korean populations. According to reimbursement records from the National Health Insurance Servicesdatabase in 2012, the incidence and mortality of osteoporotic fracture including in the spine, hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus are 655.4/100,000 and 7.0%, 171.3/100,000 and 16%, 474.1/100,000 and 1.7%, and 90.9/100,000 and 7.0%, respectively. The numbers and incidence of hip and spine fracture were trending upward during the study period. However, mortality from osteoporotic fractures was steady or trended downward. Gender-specific assessment showed that although the incidence of osteoporotic fracture in men is less than in women, the mortality of men after osteoporotic fracture ranged from 1.4- to 2.2- fold that of women. Our review of epidemiologic studies regarding osteoporosis and related fractures demonstrated that Korea is a country with increasing trends of osteoporosis and related fractures. Therefore, a public health strategy for treating osteoporosis and preventing osteoporotic fracture is mandatory.
Aging ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Humerus ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Male ; Mortality ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; National Health Programs ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Radius ; Spine

BACKGROUNDAntihypertensive drugs have been linked to new-onset osteoporotic fracture (NOF), and different classes of antihypertensive drugs may alter the risk for the development of NOF; however, the classic effect of different antihypertensive drugs on the development of NOF in the elderly has not been well studied during long-term follow-up.

METHODSIn this study, we investigated the association between different classic antihypertensives and the development of NOF in the elderly. This was a longitudinal cohort study performed using data from claim forms submitted to the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance in Central Taiwan, China including case patients with NOF aged 65-80 years from January 2002 to December 2012 and non-NOF controls. Prescriptions for antihypertensives before the index date were retrieved from a prescription database. We estimated the hazard ratios (HR s) of NOF associated with antihypertensive use. Non-NOF controls served as the reference group.

RESULTSA total of 128 patients with NOF were identified from among 1144 patients with hypertension during the study period. The risk of NOF after adjusting age, sex, comorbidities, and concurrent medications was higher among the users of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (HR, 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-2.66) than among nonusers. Patients who took calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99) were at a lower risk of developing NOF than nonusers. Loop diuretics, thiazide diuretics, angiotensin receptor blocker, beta-blocker, and alpha-blocker were not associated with the risk of NOF.

CONCLUSIONSElderly with hypertension who take CCBs are at a lower risk of NOF and that the use of ACE inhibitors was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing NOF during the 11-year follow-up.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; chemically induced ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Taiwan ; epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and resultant fracture seems to be the most common skeletal disease, affecting female exclusively. Osteoporosis increases exponentially with menopause and age. Therefore the demographic data seems to be the most important & fundamental for the study of osteoporosis epidemiology. METHODS: This study was to analyzed population projection from 1960 to 2060. We evaluated the demographic change of female, postmenopausal and elderly geripausal population in South Korea using Korean statistical information service database as basic fundamental data for osteoporosis epidemiology. RESULTS: According to population projection, the total female population will be exceeds the total male population since 2015 and maximize up to 2030. In 2030, nearly half of female will become postmenopausal and one fourth of women elderly will be geripausal. Of total female population in 2060, the proportion of postmenopausal women will be increased up to 59.8%. CONCLUSIONS: According to population projection in South Korea, six of ten women in 2060 will be postmenopausal and seven of ten postmenopausal women geripausal. As expected to increase proportion of elderly women, dramatic rise of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture also expected. Health providers pay more attention to postmenopausal and geripausal women health care.
Aged ; Demography ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Population Forecast ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea ; Male ; Menopause ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Women's Health

BACKGROUND: There has been lack of epidemiology of proximal humerus fracture using nationwide database in Asia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of proximal humerus fracture and its mortality following proximal humerus fracture in Korean over 50 years of age. METHODS: The Korean National Health Insurance data were evaluated to determine the incidence and mortality of proximal humerus fracture aged 50 years or older from 2008 through 2012. RESULTS: Proximal humerus fracture increased by 40.5% over 5 year of study. The incidence of fracture increased from 104.7/100,000 in 2008 to 124.7/100,000 in 2012 in women and from 45.3/100,000 in 2008 to 52.0/100,000 in 2012 in men, respectively. One year mortality rate after proximal humerus fracture was 8.0% in 2008 and 7.0% in 2012. One year mortality rate were 10.8% for men and 7.0% for women in 2008 and 8.5% for men and 6.4% for women in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the proximal humerus fracture in elderly was recently increasing and associated with high mortality in Korea. Considering proximal humerus fracture was associated with an increased risk of associated fractures and an increased mortality risk, public health strategy to prevent the proximal humerus fracture in elderly will be mandatory.
Aged ; Asia ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; Humerus* ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality* ; National Health Programs ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Public Health

Rib fractures are one of main causes of chest or flank pain when related to an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). The authors investigated the incidence and risk factors of rib fracture in 284 patients with OVCF using bone scans and evaluated the feasibility as to whether bone scans could be utilized as a useful screening tool. Hot uptake lesions on ribs were found in 122 cases (43.0%). The factors analyzed were age, sex, number and locations of fractured vertebrae, BMD, and compression rates as determined using initial radiography. However, no statistical significances were found. In 16 cases (5.6%), there were concurrent multiple fractures of both the thoracic and lumbar spines not detected by single site MRI. Sixty cases (21.1%) of OVCF with the a compression rate of less than 15% could not be identified definitely by initial plain radiography, but were confirmed by bone scans. It is concluded that a bone scan has outstanding ability for the screening of rib fractures associated with OVCF. Non-adjacent multiple fractures in both thoracic and lumbar spines and fractures not identified definitely by plain radiography were detected on bone scans, which provided a means for determining management strategies and predicting prognosis.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Density ; Female ; Fractures, Compression/diagnosis/*epidemiology/radiography ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis/pathology/*radiography ; Osteoporotic Fractures/diagnosis/*epidemiology/radiography ; Rib Fractures/*epidemiology ; Spine/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Rib fractures are one of main causes of chest or flank pain when related to an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). The authors investigated the incidence and risk factors of rib fracture in 284 patients with OVCF using bone scans and evaluated the feasibility as to whether bone scans could be utilized as a useful screening tool. Hot uptake lesions on ribs were found in 122 cases (43.0%). The factors analyzed were age, sex, number and locations of fractured vertebrae, BMD, and compression rates as determined using initial radiography. However, no statistical significances were found. In 16 cases (5.6%), there were concurrent multiple fractures of both the thoracic and lumbar spines not detected by single site MRI. Sixty cases (21.1%) of OVCF with the a compression rate of less than 15% could not be identified definitely by initial plain radiography, but were confirmed by bone scans. It is concluded that a bone scan has outstanding ability for the screening of rib fractures associated with OVCF. Non-adjacent multiple fractures in both thoracic and lumbar spines and fractures not identified definitely by plain radiography were detected on bone scans, which provided a means for determining management strategies and predicting prognosis.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Density ; Female ; Fractures, Compression/diagnosis/*epidemiology/radiography ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis/pathology/*radiography ; Osteoporotic Fractures/diagnosis/*epidemiology/radiography ; Rib Fractures/*epidemiology ; Spine/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed