Characterizing Fracture Distribution by Sex, Age, and Body Region: Insights from a Regional Population Study

Authors: Blake C Martin* , Alvarenga JP and Sander M

DOI: 10.23880/jobd-16000284

Volume 9, Issue 1

Abstract

This Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas is a unique, medically underserved region. We conducted this study to further the knowledge of orthopedics in this community and determine if certain body regions, based on sex and age, were at increased risk for fracture in this population. We hypothesized that females would have increased fracture frequency at older ages while males would have increased fracture frequency at younger ages. We also hypothesized that femur and forearm fractures would be increased in females compared to males. This study was a retrospective chart review from January 1, 2018, to September 4, 2024. We analyzed medical charts of individuals who sustained fractures of various regions of the body. Various statistical tests were utilized to analyze the data. Female’s most frequent fracture site is the forearm (27%). Males’ most frequent fracture site is the hand (30%). Females had a bimodal distribution, one peak in early childhood and another peak in older ages. The age distribution in males was unimodal and more uniform with a prominent peak occurring in early childhood. The most frequent co-occurrences were in hand and femur, with 432 cases (5%). These findings suggest that individuals should be mindful and possibly take precautions to prevent fractures in particular body regions based on the age and sex of individuals. Physicians and other healthcare workers should also keep this information in mind when evaluating, informing, and treating patients, especially those with bone conditions or those at higher risk of bone injury.

Keywords: Fracture; Bone Break; Bone; Underserved

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