Black-White Differences in Fracture Rates

To compare the incidence of all nonvertebral fractures between elderly blacks and whites, the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study among Tennessee Medicaid enrollees aged 65 years or more from 1987 through 1989. A previously validated computer algorithm identified 6,802 persons of black or white race with 7,645 new nonvertebral fractures. The incidence of all nonvertebral fractures in blacks was only half of that in whites. This finding persisted after the authors controlled for sex, age, and nursing home residence (relative risk = 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.4-0.5). Rates were consistently lower among blacks within subgroups defined by these factors and for each of the 13 different fracture sites examined. The magnitude of the difference between blacks and whites in rates of all fractures combined and most site-specific fractures is similar to that previously reported for hip fractures. These consistent racial differences suggest a common underlying factor(s).