Posters
Presenting Author Academic/Professional Position
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 1)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 2)
Medical Student
Academic Level (Author 3)
Faculty
Discipline/Specialty (Author 3)
Population Health and Biostatistics
Presentation Type
Poster
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Clinical Science
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: This Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas is a unique region that is impoverished and medically underserved. We conducted this study in order to further the knowledge of orthopedics in this unique, medically underserved community. We sought to determine if certain body regions, based on sex and age, were at increased risk for fracture in this population. We hypothesized that females would have increased fracture frequency at older ages while males would have increased fracture frequency at all other ages. We also hypothesized that femur and forearm fractures would be increased in females compared to males.
Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review and data was gathered from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) UTHealth electronic database from January 1, 2018 to September 4, 2024. We collected and analyzed medical charts of individuals who sustained fractures of (ICD-10 codes): skull and facial bones (S02), cervical vertebrae (S12), ribs, sternum, or thoracic spine (S22), lumbar spine or pelvis (S32), shoulder and upper arm (S42), forearm (S52), wrist or hand (S62), femur (S72), lower leg or ankle (S82), foot and toe (S92). We used descriptive statistics and the distribution was visualized with histograms and dot plots. The number of fractures was analyzed with negative binomial regression. The hazard ratio for the five most common fractures was analyzed to compare sexes and modeled over age, and proportional risk was tested.
Results: Female’s most frequent fracture site is the forearm (27%), followed by the shoulder (17%) and ankle (16%). The hand (16%) and femur (12%) are common fracture sites. Males’ most frequent fracture site is the hand (30%), followed by the forearm (22%) and shoulder (15%). No sex differences were found in the thorax (1%), and cervical region/skull (<1%). Females had a bimodal distribution, one peak in early childhood (likely around 0–15 years) and another peak in older ages, especially after 50, with a significant rise toward older age groups. The age distribution in males was unimodal and more uniform than that of females with a prominent peak occurring in early childhood (0–15 years) and then the frequency of fractures staying stable or slightly declining gradually across the rest of their lifespan. Unique fractures dominate frequently, however, the most frequent co-occurrences were in the hand and femur, with 432 cases (5%), followed by the forearm and hand, with 127 cases (1%).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that individuals should be mindful and possibly take precautions to prevent fractures in particular body regions based on the age and sex of individuals. Physicians and other healthcare workers should also keep this information in mind when evaluating, informing, and treating patients, especially those with bone conditions or those at higher risk of bone injury.
Recommended Citation
Martin, Blake C.; Hensley, Jared; and Lopez Alvarenga, Juan, "Characterizing Fracture Distribution by Sex, Age, and Body Region: Insights from a Regional Population Study" (2025). Research Symposium. 38.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/38
Included in
Characterizing Fracture Distribution by Sex, Age, and Body Region: Insights from a Regional Population Study
Background: This Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas is a unique region that is impoverished and medically underserved. We conducted this study in order to further the knowledge of orthopedics in this unique, medically underserved community. We sought to determine if certain body regions, based on sex and age, were at increased risk for fracture in this population. We hypothesized that females would have increased fracture frequency at older ages while males would have increased fracture frequency at all other ages. We also hypothesized that femur and forearm fractures would be increased in females compared to males.
Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review and data was gathered from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) UTHealth electronic database from January 1, 2018 to September 4, 2024. We collected and analyzed medical charts of individuals who sustained fractures of (ICD-10 codes): skull and facial bones (S02), cervical vertebrae (S12), ribs, sternum, or thoracic spine (S22), lumbar spine or pelvis (S32), shoulder and upper arm (S42), forearm (S52), wrist or hand (S62), femur (S72), lower leg or ankle (S82), foot and toe (S92). We used descriptive statistics and the distribution was visualized with histograms and dot plots. The number of fractures was analyzed with negative binomial regression. The hazard ratio for the five most common fractures was analyzed to compare sexes and modeled over age, and proportional risk was tested.
Results: Female’s most frequent fracture site is the forearm (27%), followed by the shoulder (17%) and ankle (16%). The hand (16%) and femur (12%) are common fracture sites. Males’ most frequent fracture site is the hand (30%), followed by the forearm (22%) and shoulder (15%). No sex differences were found in the thorax (1%), and cervical region/skull (<1%). Females had a bimodal distribution, one peak in early childhood (likely around 0–15 years) and another peak in older ages, especially after 50, with a significant rise toward older age groups. The age distribution in males was unimodal and more uniform than that of females with a prominent peak occurring in early childhood (0–15 years) and then the frequency of fractures staying stable or slightly declining gradually across the rest of their lifespan. Unique fractures dominate frequently, however, the most frequent co-occurrences were in the hand and femur, with 432 cases (5%), followed by the forearm and hand, with 127 cases (1%).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that individuals should be mindful and possibly take precautions to prevent fractures in particular body regions based on the age and sex of individuals. Physicians and other healthcare workers should also keep this information in mind when evaluating, informing, and treating patients, especially those with bone conditions or those at higher risk of bone injury.
