To determine the rate ratios of hip and distal radius fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), hip osteoarthritis (OA), and knee OA.
Cohort study using healthcare data (1998-2012) covering the entire population of the Skåne region of Sweden.
We found an increased rate of hip fracture in both female [standardized fracture rate ratio (SFR) 1.54, 95% CI 1.40-1.70] and male patients with RA (SFR 1.81, 95% CI 1.51-2.17). The hip fracture rate in female OA was reduced by 10-20%, and trochanteric fracture tended to have a higher rate ratio compared with the cervical.
The 50-80% increased rate of hip fracture adds to the total burden of RA while the shifted distribution of cervical/trochanteric fractures in OA is in support of subchondral bone alterations.