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Incidence and number of fragility fractures of the hip in South Africa: estimated projections from 2020 to 2050

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Abstract

Summary

Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing rapid population ageing and better understanding of the burden of musculoskeletal conditions is needed. We have estimated a large increase in the burden of hip fractures for South Africa over the coming decades. These findings should support preparation of hip fracture services to meet this demand.

Introduction

A better understanding of the burden of fragility fractures in sub-Saharan Africa is needed to inform healthcare planning. We aimed to use recent hip fracture incidence data from South Africa (SA) to estimate the future burden of hip fracture for the country over the next three decades.

Methods

Hip fracture incidence data within the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces of SA were obtained from patients aged ≥ 40 years with a radiograph-confirmed hip fracture in one of 94 included hospitals. Age-, sex- and ethnicity-specific incidence rates were generated using the 2011 SA census population for the study areas. Incidence rates were standardised to United Nations (UN) population projections, for the years 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050, and absolute numbers of hip fractures derived.

Results

The 2767 hip fracture patients studied had mean (SD) age 73.7 (12.7) years; 69% were female. Estimated age- and ethnicity-standardised incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years) for the overall SA population in 2020 were 81.2 for females and 43.1 for males. Overall projected incidence rates were discernibly higher by the year 2040 and increased further by the year 2050 (109.0 and 54.1 for females and males, respectively). Estimates of the overall annual number of hip fractures for SA increased from approximately 11,000 in 2020 to approximately 26,400 by 2050.

Conclusion

The hip fracture burden for SA is expected to more than double over the next 30 years. Significant investment in fracture prevention services and inpatient fracture care is likely to be needed to meet this demand.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (using the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Funding) and Wellcome (217135/Z/19/Z) under the NIHR-Wellcome Partnership for Global Health Research. The work was also supported by the University of Kwazulu-Natal and the South African Medical Research Council (MRC). All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital, Learning and Research Building, Level 1, BS10 5NB, Bristol, UK

    Samuel Hawley, Anya Burton & Celia L. Gregson

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Edendale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    Sapna Dela

  3. Department of Rheumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Farhanah Paruk

  4. Department of Geriatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Bilkish Cassim

  5. Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Celia L. Gregson

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  1. Samuel Hawley
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Correspondence to Samuel Hawley.

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Samuel Hawley and Sapna Dela are joint first authors.

Bilkish Cassim and Celia L Gregson are joint senior authors.

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Hawley, S., Dela, S., Burton, A. et al. Incidence and number of fragility fractures of the hip in South Africa: estimated projections from 2020 to 2050. Osteoporos Int 33, 2575–2583 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-022-06525-5

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