Changing incidence of hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus fractures in Tottori Prefecture, Japan

A survey of all fractures in patients ≥35 years of age for hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus was performed in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Hip fracture survey was done for the years 1986–1988, and also 1992–1994. A distal radius and proximal humerus fracture survey was done for the years 1986–1988, 1992, and 1995. The age- and gender-specific incidence rates of these three types of fracture among Japanese were substantially lower than those of whites living in North America or northern Europe. The age-adjusted incidence rates of hip fracture (per 100,000 person-years) were 40.7 and 114.1 in 1986 and 57.1 and 145.2 in 1994 for men and women, respectively, showing a significant increase with time for women. Upon examination of individual fracture types, there was no significant increase in cervical fractures, whereas a significant increase was observed in trochanteric fractures for women. The age-adjusted incidence rates of distal radius fractures for women were 164.9 in 1986 and 211.4 in 1995, showing a significant increase with time; however, no increase was observed among men. Incidence of proximal humerus fractures was 10.3 and 42.0 in 1986 and 17.1 and 47.9 in 1995 for men and women, respectively, and these increases were significant for both genders.