PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Background and aims: Actual population-based data describing the hip fracture risk in Germany are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the hip fracture incidence in Germany in 2004, using the national hospital discharge register, and to analyze differences between eastern and western Germany. Patients and methods: We determined the annual incidence per 100,000 population, correcting for double registrations and recurrent admissions (correction factor 0.89). To compare eastern and western Germany, we standardized data to the 2004 whole German population. Using the Poisson regression with scale adjustment for over-dispersion, we obtained age/sex-adjusted differences between eastern and western Germany. Results: In 2004, we found 116.281 patients with at least one hospital admission because of a hip fracture, corresponding to an incidence of 140.9 (95%; confidence interval 140.2-141.7) per 100,000 persons. As expected, the hip fracture incidence increased with increasing age. In younger age groups the incidence was higher in men, whereas in the elderly it was much higher in women. The hip fracture incidence tended to be lower in eastern than in western Germany (p=0.058). Conclusion: As in the previous decade, the hip fracture incidence in Germany in 2004 was higher than in southern than in eastern Europe. Our data gave a higher incidence than a recent analysis based on data from the statutory health insurances. The difference may be due to methodological reasons (selection of the insured population, choice of the correction factor for double registration and recurrent admissions). Differences in the hip fracture incidence between eastern and western Germany were lower in 2004 than in 1996. Further studies are warranted to achieve valid incidence measurements as a basis for planning and evaluating health care as well as specific measures of prevention.