Nationwide trends in inpatient shoulder girdle injuries in Germany: a population-based analysis from 2010 to 2023.

backgroundShoulder girdle injuries are common musculoskeletal conditions that frequently require medical attention and may result in substantial functional impairment and healthcare utilisation. While many cases are managed on an outpatient basis, a relevant proportion requires inpatient care. Comprehensive nationwide analyses of inpatient shoulder girdle injuries over extended time periods remain limited, particularly with regard to recent healthcare disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsThis nationwide, population-based, retrospective study analysed aggregated inpatient hospital discharge data from the German Federal Health Monitoring system (GBE-Bund). Inpatient hospitalisations for shoulder girdle injuries were identified using ICD-10-GM code S43 as the primary discharge diagnosis. The primary analysis covered the continuous annual period from 2010 to 2023, with data from 2000 and 2005 presented as historical reference years. Population-based hospitalisation rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated using official population statistics. Analyses were descriptive and included predefined age-stratified subgroup analyses.

resultsBetween 2010 and 2023, the annual number of inpatient shoulder girdle injury hospitalisations declined from 23,549 to 17,532 cases. Correspondingly, the population-based hospitalisation rate decreased from 28.8 to 21.0 per 100,000 inhabitants. Hospitalisation rates remained largely stable during the early observation period, followed by a gradual decline and a pronounced reduction in 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. A partial recovery was observed in subsequent years, with rates remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Throughout the study period, inpatient hospitalisations were consistently more frequent in males than in females. Age-stratified analyses showed that inpatient hospitalisations were highest in patients aged 15-44 years, followed by ≥ 65 years and 45-64 years, respectively. The mean length of hospital stay declined steadily from 3.9 days in 2010 to 2.9 days in 2023.

conclusionsNationwide inpatient hospitalisations for shoulder girdle injuries in Germany declined overall during the observation period, accompanied by a substantial reduction in length of hospital stay and a persistent male predominance. The marked decline observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and incomplete recovery thereafter highlight evolving patterns in hospital-based trauma care. These findings provide contemporary population-based epidemiological benchmarks and are relevant for healthcare planning and resource allocation.