Incidence Estimates and Demographics of Scaphoid Fracture in the United States Population

Abstract

Purpose: The epidemiology of scaphoid fracture occurrence is based mostly on retrospective analyses of small population centers. Analysis of a large injury database was performed with the hypothesis that previous studies have underestimated the incidence of scaphoid fracture. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) is a probability sample of injuries in the United States presenting to emergency rooms. The NEISS model was queried for injuries classified as wrist fractures, and narrative data evaluated specifically for scaphoid fracture, over the 5-year period 2002-2006. Descriptive characteristics were analyzed with respect to patient demographics, location, mechanism, and sports/recreation participation. Results: A total of 507 injuries coded as fractures of the scaphoid comprised the dataset from 2002-2006, with weighted sampling estimating 21,481 scaphoid fractures nationwide during this time period. This results in an incidence rate for the US population of 1.47 fractures per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.31 to 1.63). 4 Conclusions: The NEISS dataset utilized in this study represents the largest single sample population for scaphoid fracture epidemiology in the medical literature. The estimated incidence of scaphoid fracture is higher in the U.S. than those reported for other countries.