[Femoral shaft fractures in children. An epidemiologic study in the Greater Arhus]

In a well-defined community, 144 cases of femoral shaft fracture in children (< 15 years old) were registered over a ten-year period. The cases were analysed epidemiologically. The variables taken into consideration were age, sex, aetiology of the fracture, and yearly and seasonal changes of the incidence rates of the fracture. The boy/girl ratio was found to be 2.8:1. The incidence rate was 28 per 100,000 child-years. Young children (< three years) had the highest incidence rates. The most common aetiology was traffic trauma (43.1%), fall trauma (41.7%) coming next. Falling off bicycles contributed with 41.9%, direct trauma with 3.5%, and jamming with 5.6%. An incidence peak was found in the summer months April through August. Involvement of children in traffic accidents and the number of femoral shaft fractures due to traffic trauma fell significantly over the ten-year period.