Epidemiology of hip fracture and the development of a FRAX model for Uzbekistan

A prospective population-based survey in a region of the Republic of Uzbekistan determined the incidence of fractures at the hip. The hip fracture rates were used to create a FRAX (R) model to facilitate fracture risk assessment in Uzbekistan. Objective This paper describes the epidemiology of hip fracture in the Republic of Uzbekistan that was used to develop a country-specific FRAX (R) tool for fracture prediction. Methods During a 1-year (2016/17) prospective population-based survey in the Pap district of the Republic of Uzbekistan, hip fractures were prospectively identified from hospital registers, trauma centres and primary care and community sources. Age- and sex-specific incidence of hip fracture and national mortality rates were incorporated into a FRAX model for Uzbekistan. Fracture probabilities were compared with those from neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan. Results Approximately 41% of hip fracture cases did not come to medical attention, and two thirds of patients overall were not admitted to hospital. The incidence of hip fracture applied nationally suggested that the estimated number of hip fractures nationwide in persons over the age of 50 years for 2015 was 16,764 and is predicted to increase more than three-fold to 60,272 in 2050. FRAX-based probabilities were higher in Uzbekistan than Kazakhstan or Kyrgystan. Conclusion The FRAX model should enhance accuracy of determining fracture probability among the Uzbek population and help guide decisions about treatment.