Impact of COVID-19 on the Incidence of Fragility Fracture in South Korea

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the consequent social distancing period are thought to have influenced the incidence of osteoporotic fracture in various ways, but the exact changes have not yet been well elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of osteoporotic fracture using a nationwide cohort.

Methods: The monthly incidence rates of vertebral; hip; and non-vertebral, non-hip fractures were collected from a nationwide database of the Korean National Health Insurance Review and Assessment from July 2016 to June 2021. Segmented regression models were used to assess the change in levels and trends in the monthly incidence of osteoporotic fractures.

Results: There was a step decrease in the incidence of vertebral fractures for both males (6.181 per 100,000, P=0.002) and females (19.299 per 100,000, P=0.006). However, there was a negative trend in the incidence of hip fracture among both males (-0.023 per 100,000 per month, P=0.023) and females (-0.032 per 100,000 per month, P=0.019). No impact of COVID-19-related social distancing was noted.

Conclusions: In conclusion, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, vertebral fracture incidence considerably decreased with the implementation of social distancing measures.