FRACTURES OF THE DISTAL RADIUS IN A NORWEGIAN CITY

During a prospective one-year study (1988) all fractures of the distal radius in people over 20 years old were registered in Bergen, Norway. Six hundred patients with 609 fractures were treated. The incidence w as 38/10000 population, and 79% of the fractures occurred in women. Th e age-specific incidence in women increased rapidly after the menopaus e and reached a maximum between 60 and 69 years. The incidence for wom en over 60 years of age is the highest reported. Among women over 50 y ears the incidence of fractures caused by minor falls varied depending on the season. The mean number of fractures was 3.6 times higher on d ays when there was snow on the ground compared with days when there wa s no snow. More than half the distal radial fractures occurred while o ut walking. Possible strategies to prevent fractures must include prev ention of falls, in particular among postmenopausal women on winter da ys.