The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Osteoporotic fracture is a common skeletal disease in the elderly, characterized by high mortality and disability, high medical costs, and social burden. A timely understanding of the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly can provide a corresponding reference basis for prevention and treatment. However, there is no meta-analysis to study the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly (≥ 60 years old) in Chinese. So we plan to systematically evaluate the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the Chinese elderly. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, and VIP databases about relevant studies on the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly in China. After screening and evaluating the quality of the literature, relevant data were extracted for statistical analysis. The source of heterogeneity and the comparison of prevalence between different groups were confirmed through subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. Results The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the elderly was 18.9% [95%CI (16.5%, 21.4%)]. Subgroup analysis results: The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 14.3% [95%CI (10.1%, 18.5%)] in men and 18.5% [95% CI (14.8%, 22.3%)] in women. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 15.9% [95% CI (12.2%, 19.6%)] in 60–69 years old, 25.0% [95%CI (19.6%, 30.5%)] in 70–79 years old, and 35.6% [95% CI (27.9%, 43.4%) ] in ≥ 80 years old. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures was 18.9% [95% CI (15.9%, 21.8%)] in the southern region and 20.3% [95% CI (12.2%, 28.3%)] in the northern part. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in Chinese elderly was 13.2% [95% CI (10.4%, 16.1%)] from 2000 to 2010 and 22.7% [95% CI (18.7%, 26.6%)] from 2012 to 2022. The prevalence of osteoporotic hip fracture in older people was 4.5% [95% CI (3.3%, 5.7%)]. Distal forearm osteoporotic fracture was 3.0% [95% CI (2.2%, 3.7%)]. The prevalence of osteoporotic spinal fractures was 11.6% [95% CI (9.8%, 13.4%)]. Conclusion The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the Chinese elderly is 18.9%, and timely prevention and treatment are necessary. Trial registration: The ID number registered on Prospero is CRD42023383566.