Lower limb fractures and registration for alcoholism.

During two consecutive years 607 individuals with lower limb fractures were diagnosed. Half of the individuals, 315, were women and only 14 of them had an earlier registration for alcoholism. In the 292 men, however, 73 men or 25%, had been registered at the Department of Alcohol Diseases at least once during the 13 years of observation, the highest registration frequency (30%) was noted in the malleolar fractures in men. In males, 30-50 years of age, there were 37 per cent who had a registration for alcoholism, the highest registration (44%) was noted for fracture of the tibial diaphysis. Males with fracture of the proximal end of the femur between 16-80 years of age were registered for alcoholism in 23%.