Epidemiology of Hip Fractures in Ecuador

Objectives: To report the age-, sex-, and type-specific hip fracture incidence rates in Ecuador. A secondary objective was to examine hip fracture geographic variations in Latin America.

Methods: The Anuario de Egresos Hospitalarios was analyzed to determine the number of persons aged 50 years or older hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of hip fracture (ICD-10 S72) in 2005. Census estimates of the population were used as the denominator to calculate hip fracture incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Age-adjusted rates were calculated by the direct method using the 2000 U.S. population as the standard to examine hip fracture geographic variations.

Results: A total of 1 005 persons were hospitalized with a diagnosis of hip fracture (664 women and 341 men) during the study period. The crude annual incidence rate of hip fractures was 49.5 per 100,000 (34.8 per 100,000 men and 63.2 per 100,000 women). In general, the number and incidence of hip fractures increased exponentially with age in both sexes. However, the increase was more relevant in women. Age-adjusted rates in Latin America ranged from a low of 15.1 per 100,000 in women and 6.7 per 100,000 in men for Sobral, Brazil, to a high of 499.0 per 100,000 in women for La Plata, Argentina.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate a low incidence of hip fractures in Ecuador and geographic differences of hip fracture rates in Latin America. Because the population of Ecuador is aging, this study provides valuable information for public health authorities to start planning and implementing prevention strategies aimed at reducing the burden of hip fractures in the near future.