Increasing incidence of distal radius fractures in Japanese children and adolescents

To investigate recent trends in the incidence of fractures in children and adolescents, we conducted a survey of distal radius fractures in 1992 and 1995 in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Seven-hundred and forty-five patients under age 20 years were registered (562 males and 183 females). The age and sex-specific incidences of fractures in patients under 20 years of age were higher in males than in females, showing peaks at age 12–13 years for males and at age 10–11 years for females. The incidences had an obvious monthly variation, with peaks in spring and autumn. The age and sex-specific incidences were compared with those in the period 1986–1988, which we reported previously. The incidence in each year showed a significant increase with time for males but not for females. We conclude that the incidence of distal radius fractures in children and adolescents has a prominent peak matched by the age of the growth spurt, and the incidence of the fracture has increased in males during the past decade in Tottori Prefecture. Received: July 29, 1999 / Accepted: December 15, 1999