Epidemiological analysis of adult talar fractures in the Third Affiliated Hospital to Hebei Medical University from 2003 through 2012

Objective To analyze the epidemiological features and trends of adult talar fractures from 2003 through 2012 at our hospital.Methods The clinical data were collected of the adult patients with talar fractures who had been treated between January 2003 and December 2012 in our hospital.The injury was characterized in terms of gender,age and fracture type of AO classification.The data between January 2003 and December 2007 were assigned into group A and those between January 2008 and December 2012 into group B.The two groups were compared to find out the general epidemiologic characteristics and trends in the recent 10 years.Results A total of 560 patients with 569 talar fractures were included in this study,involving 443 males (450 fractures) and 117 females (119 fractures),with a ratio of male to female of 3.79:1.The fractures predominated in an age range of 21 to 30 years (24.96％).The most frequent fracture type was 81-B (38.84％).In group A,there were 312 patients (316 fractures),with a male to female ratio of 4.29:1 and a mean age of 35.7 ± 12.9 years.In group B,there were 248 patients (253 fractures),with a male/female ratio of 3.28:1 and a mean age of 36.3 ± 14.4 years.There was no significant difference in the male/female ratio or the mean age between the two groups (x2 =1.676,P=0.196; Z =-0.225,P =0.822).The most common fracture type of AO classification was type 81-B in both groups,showing no significant difference between the 2 groups (x2 =0.862,P =0.650).Conclusions Adult talus fracture favored more men than women.Its peak age ranged from 21 to 30 years old.The most common fracture type was 81-B.Compared with the first 5 years,there was no significant change in the male/female ratio,mean age or fracture type during the second 5 years. Key words: Talus;  Fractures, bone;  Epidemiology;  Adult