CONTEXT/OBJECTIVE: The objective of the research was to illustrate the epidemiology profile of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF) in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, China, from 2006-2015.

DESIGN

Hospital-based retrospective study.

SETTING

Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.

METHODS

Medical records of inpatient patients with TLF from 1 January 2006 to December 2015 were collected. Detailed information on epidemiological characters were analyzed based on the medical records suffering from TLF from T11-L2 level, including incidence, age and sex, marital, occupation, etiology and fracture type, types of injuries.

RESULTS

Totally 132 cases were identified. The incidence rate was 2.4 patient per million population at 2015. Male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1, with a mean age of 49.1 ± 17.7 years. The cases number in 46-60 group, totally 35 and accounting for 26.5%, was the largest. There is a significant differences of cases number between 2011-2015 group and 2006-2010 group. Retiree, taken up 48.5%, was the largest group among TLF patients. The most common injury level was T12 (34) accounting for 25.7%. Falls (57, 43.2%) (low falls and high falls) were the leading causes, followed by motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) (23, 17.4%).Compression is the only type of osteoporosis and took up 55.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence ratio is increased annually in TMUGH. Male was more vulnerable than female based on different social character. The average age was older in 2011-2015, retiree accounted for the main proportion and compression took up the largest percentage, the mean age increased and osteoporosis takes more in recent years.