Skip to main content
Log in

Epidemiology of hip and wrist fractures in Cameroon, Africa

Osteoporosis International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Osteoporosis and fragility fractures are believed to be uncommon in Africa. To reevaluate this notion, we documented all patients aged 35 years and older admitted to the two main urban hospitals in Cameroon following a diagnosis of fracture during 2 years. Among 513 patients sustaining fractures (192 women, 321 men), 13.5% of all fractures in women occurred at the hip (n=26), 4.7% at the forearm (n=9), and 81.8% (n=157) at other sites (mainly tibia and femoral shaft). In men, the corresponding figures were 9% (n=29), 1.9% (n=6), and 89.1% (n=286). Of the hip and wrist fractures occurring in women, 80.0% were low energy trauma fractures due to falls, 8.6% were high-energy trauma fractures (road accidents), and 11.4% were undefined. In men, the corresponding figures were 42.9%, 34.3%, and 22.9%. Using the 1997 estimates of the population, the annual incidence rates of low-energy trauma fractures (per 100,000 persons over 35 years and above) were 4.1 in women, 2.2 in men for hip fractures, 1.2 in women, and 0.2 in men for wrist fractures. The pattern of most of the hip and wrist fractures in women is consistent with underlying bone fragility. The low incidence of fragility fractures is confirmed and is likely to be, in part, the result of reduced longevity as only 1.1% of women and 0.7% of men survive beyond 65 years of age.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1a–d.
Fig. 2a–d.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bonjour JP, Burckhardt P, DambaCher M, Kraenzlin ME, Wimpfamer C (1997) Epidemiology of osteoporosis. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 127(16):659–667

    Google Scholar 

  2. Christiansen C (1993) Skeletal osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 8(2):S475–S840

    Google Scholar 

  3. Carter J, Eisman J (1997) The epidemiology and pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Bailleres Clin Endocrinol Metab 11(1):23–32

    Google Scholar 

  4. Samsioe G. (1997) Osteoporosis an update Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 76(3):189–199

    Google Scholar 

  5. Adebajo AO, Cooper C, Grimley EJ (1997) Fractures of the hip and distal forearm in West Africa and the United Kingdom. Age Ageing 20:435–438

    Google Scholar 

  6. Aspray TJ, Prentice A, Timothy JC, Yankuba S, Reeve J, Roger MF (1996) Low bone mineral content is common but osteoporotic fractures are rare in the elderly rural Gambian women. J Bone Miner Res 11(7):1009–1025

    Google Scholar 

  7. Solomon L (1968) Osteoporosis and fracture of femoral neck in the South African Bantu. J Bone Surg 50B:2–13

    Google Scholar 

  8. Annuaire Statistique National, République du Cameroun. Année 1997

  9. Wong PCN (1966) Fracture epidemiology in a mixed Southeastern Asian community (Singapore). Clin Orthop 45:55–61

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kanis JA, Pitt FA (1992) Epidemiology of osteoporosis. Bone 13(1):S7–S15

    Google Scholar 

  11. Melton LJ III, Amadio PC, Crowson CS, O'fallon WM (1998) Long-term trends in the incidence of distal forearm fractures. Osteoporos Int 8:341–348

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hagino H, Yamamoto H, Nakamura H, Kishimoto T (1989) Changing incidence of hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus fractures in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Bone 24(3):265–270

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kannus P, Parkkari J, Sievanen H, Heinonen A, Jarvinen M (1996) Epidemiology of hip fractures. Bone 18(1):S57-S63

    Google Scholar 

  14. Cooper C, Campion G, Melton LJ III (1992) Hip fractures in the elderly: a world-wide projection. Osteoporos Int 285–289

  15. Sanders KM, Pasco JA, Ugoni AM, et al. (1998) The exclusion of high trauma fractures may underestimate the prevalence of bone fragility fractures in the community: the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. J Bone Miner Res Aug 13(8):1337–1342

    Google Scholar 

  16. Xu L, Lu A, Zhao X, Chen X, Cummunigs SR (1996) Very low rates of hip fractures in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The Beijing Osteoporosis Project. Am J Epidemiol. 144(9):901–907

    Google Scholar 

  17. Elffors L, Allander E, Kanis JA, Gullerg B, Johnell O, Dequeker J (1994) The variable incidence of hip fracture in southern Europe. The MEDOS study. Osteoporos Int 4:253–263

    Google Scholar 

  18. Loftus CM, Osnes EK, Falch JA, et al. (2001) Epidemiology of hip fractures in Oslo, Norway. Bone 29:413–418

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sanders KM, Seeman E, Ugoni AM, et al. (1999) Age- and gender-specific rate of fractures in Australia: a population-based study. Osteoporos Int 10:240–247

    Google Scholar 

  20. Lau EMC, Lee JK, Suriwongpaisal P, Saw SM, Das De S, Khir A, Sambrook P (2001) The incidence of hip fractures in four Asian countries: the Asian Osteoporosis Study (AOS). Osteoporos Int 12:239–243

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roger Martin Djoumessi Zebaze.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zebaze, R.M.D., Seeman, E. Epidemiology of hip and wrist fractures in Cameroon, Africa. Osteoporos Int 14, 301–305 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-002-1356-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-002-1356-1

Keywords

Navigation