INCIDENCE OF HIP FRACTURES IN CORRIENTES, BARILOCHE AND COMODORO RIVADAVIA

Abstract

Epidemiology of hip fracture was studied over a 1-year period in the cities of Corrientes, Bariloche and Comodoro Rivadavia, located in the northeast and south of Argentina. The results were compared to previous studies performed in the northern and central regions of our country. Sixty seven patients (43 women, 24 men) in Corrientes, 36 patients (23 women, 13 men) in Bariloche and 33 patients (25 women, 8 men) in Comodoro Rivadavia aged 50 years or over suffered an atraumatic hip fracture. The incidence of hip fractures in females and males was the following: Corrientes, 144 and 105; Bariloche, 268 and 181; Comodoro Rivadavia, 252 and 78 hip fractures/100,000 inhabitants.year, respectively. The incidence of hip fracture in women living in Patagonia (Bariloche and Comodoro Rivadavia) was similar, but less compared to previous studies. The male population of Comodoro Rivadavia had a lower incidence than men living in Bariloche. The incidence of hip fractures women living in the city of Corrientes was the lowest. In this city, the incidence in men was similar to that found in the studies performed previously in the central region. These new data are very useful to complete information about hip fracture incidence in a large country such as Argentina. Future studies about risk factors with the same methodology should be done to understand the reason of the differences between hip fracture incidences.