What were the type of injuries?
In 2019–20, among Australians aged 65 and over (Table 10 and Figure 13):
- fractures were the most common hospitalised fall injury (50%), followed by open wounds (14%) and superficial injuries (10%)
- females had higher proportions of fractures than males (54% compared to 42%)
- males had higher proportions of open wounds and intracranial injuries than females (17% and 8.3% compared to 11% and 4.9% respectively).
|
Type of injury |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fracture |
20,334 (42%) |
45,831 (54%) |
66,167 (50%) |
|
Open wound |
8,412 (17%) |
9,563 (11%) |
17,975 (14%) |
|
Superficial injury |
5,057 (10%) |
8,544 (10%) |
13,601 (10%) |
|
Intracranial injury |
4,031 (8.3%) |
4,092 (4.9%) |
8,123 (6.1%) |
|
Other injuries |
10,724 (22%) |
16,329 (19%) |
27,053 (20%) |
|
Total |
48,567 (100%) |
84,364 (100%) |
132,933 (100%) |
Notes
- 'Total' include records where sex was intersex, indeterminate or missing. Therefore, 'Total' may be greater than the sum of 'Males' and 'Females'.
- Percentage may not tally to 100 due to rounding.
- ‘Other injuries’ includes Soft-tissue injury, Dislocation, Internal organ or vessel of trunk and Other unspecified injuries.
Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
Across 5-year age groups, the rates for each type of injury increased. Fractures accounted for the largest number and rate of hospitalised fall injuries for both males and females (Figure 13).
Figure 13: Hospitalised falls by selected types of injuries and age group, 2019–20
Stacked column graph showing that with increasing age groups, the rate of each injury type increased. Generally, males had higher rates and number of open wound injuries while females had higher rates and number of fracture injuries.
For more detailed data, see Data tables A26–27.
Location of fractures
Among the 66,200 hospitalisations for fractures caused by a fall, the hip and thigh (31%), was the most commonly fractured body part (Table 11 and Figure 14).
Seven in 10 older people hospitalised with a fracture due to a fall were women. Women were much more likely than men to sustain a fracture from a fall to limbs (including hips) and the Abdomen, lower back, and pelvis. Differences were comparatively less pronounced between the sexes for fractures to the head, neck and thorax.
|
Fracture location |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Head |
1,168 (1.8%) |
1,845 (2.8%) |
3,013 (4.6%) |
|
Neck |
618 (0.9%) |
680 (1.0%) |
1,298 (2.0%) |
|
Thorax (includes ribs, sternum and thoracic spine) |
4,025 (6.1%) |
4,341 (6.6%) |
8,367 (13%) |
|
Abdomen, lower back, and pelvis |
2,617 (4.0%) |
5,712 (8.6%) |
8,330 (13%) |
|
Upper arm |
1,849 (2.8%) |
5,724 (8.7%) |
7,573 (11%) |
|
Forearm |
1,192 (1.8%) |
7,488 (11%) |
8,680 (13%) |
|
Wrist and hand |
503 (0.8%) |
797 (1.2%) |
1,300 (2.0%) |
|
Hip and thigh |
6,413 (9.7%) |
13,942 (21%) |
20,355 (31%) |
|
Knee and lower limb |
1,646 (2.5%) |
4,674 (7.1%) |
6,320 (9.6%) |
|
Ankle and foot |
303 (0.5%) |
626 (0.9%) |
929 (1.4%) |
|
Total |
20,334 (31%) |
45,831 (69%) |
66,167 (100%) |
Notes
1. 'Total' include records where sex was intersex, indeterminate or missing. Therefore, 'Total' may be greater than the sum of 'Males' and 'Females'.
2. ‘Other, multiple and incompletely specified body regions’ removed due to low numbers
3. Percentage may not tally due to rounding.
Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.
For females, fractures to the hip and thigh were the most common locations of fractures in every 5-year age group from 75 years and over (Figure 14). For males, fractures to the thorax (for 65–69 and 70–74 years) and hip and thigh (for 75 and over) were the most common types of fracture.
Figure 14: Crude rates of hospitalised falls with a fracture by body region fractured, 65 years and over, 2019–20
Two graphs. First, a rank graph showing the relative rank of different locations of fractures due to falls by sex and 5-year aged groups. Second, a stacked column graph showing that the crude rate of fractures to all body locations increases with each 5-year age group.
For more detailed data, see Data tables A29–30.