TOPLINE:

Incident proximal humerus fractures were more common among older adults of Norwegian origin vs those with immigrant backgrounds, unmarried vs married people, and women vs men and were more likely to occur outdoors in winter.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a register-based cohort study to estimate the incidence of proximal humerus fractures and assess how it varied by sociodemographics, season, and injury site.
• They included 100,982 Oslo residents aged 60 years or older on January 1, 2012, and followed them through 2022.
• A Norwegian registry was utilised to identify first humerus fractures using diagnostic codes. Incidence rate analyses were restricted to people aged 70 years or older.
• Data on age, sex, country background, marital status, and education were retrieved from Norway-based statistics data. Season was assessed by the month of diagnosis.
• Data on the injury location were available for a subset of 2178 individuals. Locations were classified as residence indoors, outdoors, institution, or other/unknown.

TAKEAWAY:

• Incidence rates of humerus fracture were 62 and 22 per 10,000 person-years in women and men aged 70 years or older, respectively; rates increased substantially with age.
• Individuals with immigrant backgrounds had lower incidence rates of humerus fracture than those of Norwegian origin, with the lowest rates noted in those from Asia/Africa (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.49 in women and 0.37 in men); among those from Western countries, the adjusted IRRs were 0.81 in women and 0.55 in men.
• The incidence rate of humerus fracture was 1.70-fold, 1.61-fold, and 1.37-fold higher in unmarried men, separated or divorced men, and widowers, respectively, than in married men or those living in registered partnerships. Unmarried women had a 1.17-fold higher incidence rate than married women or those living in registered partnerships.
• Fractures were higher in winter, with 55% vs 22% occurring outdoors in January vs July. Overall, 41% of fractures occurred outdoors, 26% occurred indoors at home, and 10% occurred in institutions.

IN PRACTICE:

"Having Norwegian background and being unmarried carried the highest humerus fracture risk. Identifying vulnerable high-risk groups is important when planning future healthcare services," the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Siri M. Solbakken, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. It was published online on February 23, 2026, in Osteoporosis International.

LIMITATIONS:

The study lacked details on comorbidities, lifestyle habits, and medication use. Certain fractures may have been misclassified, and marital status may have changed before a fracture. The study left out individuals who moved to Oslo during follow-up, which may have affected true fracture rates.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received funding from the Research Council of Norway and the European Union stimulus programme. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.