The epidemiology of diaphyseal fractures of the tibia

AO Documentation collected reports of nearly five thousand diaphyseal tibia l fractures occurring in the 1980s. The following conclusions can be drawn: i. The number of fractures affecting men is twice that affecting women. ii. These fractures occurred mainly in younger people (under 40 years of ag e) and no increase occurred in elderly people. iii. Most bending fractures occurred in young men (20-30 yrs) and the torsi on fractures affected men and women of about 40 equally. iv. The number of simple fractures (type A) is about the same as for fractu res with one fragment (type B).