Wrist fracture: does it identify a healthy cohort or at-risk population?

A broken wrist is the most common broken bone seen in the emergency department and causes great pain and disability. Between the age of 50 and 65, there is a dramatic increase in the incidence of this injury, especially in women. Despite its common occurrence, we do not fully understand the reasons for this rapid increase. This study will compare the risk profiles of 50 to 65-year-old people who have had a wrist fracture to other similarly aged people within the CLSA cohort to identify which factors (physical activity, gender, hormonal status, comorbid health problems) predict negative health changes and how they fair over time. This information will be used to target the prevention of future health problems in the sub-group of people with high-risk profiles.