Hip fracture : an epidemiological study in AlNajaf - Iraq

Abstract EN

The objective of this work is to study the epidemiology of the proximal femoral fracture (hip fracture), which is regarded as abig public health problem especially in elderly.

The study was conducted in the teaching hospital in Najaf between Feb.1999 till Feb.2002, for all hospitalized patients who they had hip fracture.

There were 272 patient divided into two groups: The first aged 0-49 years, and the second aged 50 years and over.

The first group included 40 patients: 30 male and 10 female, the mean age was 23 year.

The causes of the fracture were fall from height 50%, road traffic accident 30%, and fall in 20% of the cases. The second group included 232 patient : 156 woman and 76 man.

Female to male ratio was 2:1.

The mean age for this group was 68 years.

The causes of the fracture were fall in 83%, fall from height in11%, and road traffic accident in 6%.

The incidence of the fracture in the second group was 86 / 100,000 inhabitant / year in Al-Najaf.

In conclusion : hip fracture occurs more commonly in elderly especially women.

Fall is the main cause of the fracture in elderly.

New strategy is needed to face this health problem aiming to decrease its rate of occurrence.