Epidemiology of scaphoid fractures in Bergen, Norway.

During a three-year period, 330 fractures of the scaphoid were diagnosed, 273 of these in subjects resident in Bergen, Norway. The population at risk was 211719, and 82% of the fractures occurred in male subjects. The mean (range) age was 25 (11-79) years. The annual incidence was 4.3/10000 people. The age-specific incidence for men was highest between the ages of 20-30 years followed by a rapid decrease. The age-specific incidence for men was significantly higher than the corresponding rates for women up to about 50 years of age, whereas the rates for men and women over 60 were similar. Fractures of the scaphoid accounted for about 2% of the total number of fractures in our area, 11% of the hand fractures, and 60% of the carpal fractures.