The epidemiology of shoulder dislocations in Oslo

There are few previous studies on the incidence of shoulder dislocation in the general population. The aim of the study was to report the incidence of acute shoulder dislocations in the capital of Norway (Oslo) in 2009. Patients of all ages living in Oslo, sustaining a dislocation of the glenohumeral joint, were identified using electronic diagnosis registers, patient protocols, radiological registers of the hospitals, and the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR). The overall incidence rate was 56.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 50.2–62.4] per 100 000 person-years, with rates of 82.2 (95% CI 71.7–92.8) and 30.9 (95% CI 24.5–37.3) in men and women, respectively. The incidence of primary dislocations was 26.2 (95% CI 22.1–30.4). The overall incidence of shoulder dislocations in Oslo was higher than previously reported incidences. The incidence of primary dislocations was also higher than that in previously reported studies for the general population but it was close to the incidence reported in Malmø, Sweden.