Incidence of hip fractures in the Lebanese population

This is the first prospective study to estimate the incidence of hip fractures in the general population in Lebanon. All orthopaedic surgeons in Beirut reported on hip fracture cases between 1 October and 31 December 1996. Data were extrapolated to 1 year and standardized for the whole population. The estimated annual incidence rate was 0.129% (women: 0.153%, men: 0.100%), increasing with age and remaining higher in women. Our figures are comparable with larger studies in other Mediterranean countries. The incidence rate of hip fractures in our population falls within a gradient of risk between the west and the east and the north and the south, highlighting the importance of environmental and genetic factors as risk factors for osteoporotic fractures.