Traumatic Knee Injuries in 2016–2019 – an Analysis of Newly Diagnosed Patients Based on NHF Data Reporting

Abstract

Background. Traumatic musculoskeletal injuries are more and more frequently regarded as an important health, social and economic problem. According to WHO statistics, injuries are a major present-day health problem. The main aim of the study is to identify the number of new patients who sustained knee structure injuries during a year and to classify them based on data on services provided under National Health Fund agreements. Material and Methods. Information on the number of patients with a knee injury was obtained in a three stage process. First an inventory of relevant diagnoses was determined. Then, the National Health Fund data from 2016–2019 was queried in accordance with the adopted methodology and assumptions. The analysis was based on the report submitted by the NHF in response to the query. Results. According to the NHF reporting data, knee injuries affect approx. 244,000 people per year. There are slightly more men (approx. 52%) than women (48%). People aged 11-20 years constitute the most numerous group of patients with knee injuries, with approx. 41,342 cases per year. The most frequently reported diagnoses in both groups were S80.0 Contusion of knee (approx. 30%), S83.6 Sprain and tear of other and unspecified parts of knee (approx. 21%) and M23.8 Other internal derangements of knee (approx. 9%). According to available data, the overall rate of knee injuries in 2019 was 6.4 per 1000 population. Conclusions. 1. Knee injuries pose a major health problem. In Poland, according to the reporting data, approx. 244,000 knee injuries occur every year. 2. Knee injuries are more common among men than women, and people aged 11–20 years constitute the most numerous group of patients. 3. The National Health Fund reporting data is a very valuable source of information on the magnitude of the problem of injuries.