Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee in Norway 2002–2004 (national survey): rapid increase, older patients, large geographic differences

Table 5 Claims for ambulant knee MRI in Norway, by patient age and gender

	n (rate = n per 1000 persons in age or gender group)			Change in rate* from 2002 to 2004, %
	2002	2003	2004
Age, years
<20	4 409 (3.8)	6 528 (5.5)	7 753 (6.5)	+ 74
20–29	6 185 (10.5)	8 052 (13.9)	8 630 (15.1)	+ 44
30–39	8 139 (11.8)	11 449 (16.4)	12 180 (17.4)	+ 48
40–49	8 518 (13.5)	11 312 (17.8)	12 857 (20.1)	+ 49
50–59	8 491 (14.8)	12 358 (21.1)	17 229 (29.0)	+ 95
60–69	4 337 (12.2)	6 446 (17.8)	7 964 (21.2)	+ 74
>70	2 761 (5.4)	3 920 (7.7)	4 627 (9.1)	+ 69
Gender
Men	23 269 (10.4)	32 101 (14.2)	37 310 (16.4)	+ 58
Women	19 571 (8.6)	27 964 (12.2)	33 930 (14.7)	+ 71

MRI = magnetic resonance imaging.
For 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively, 1, 7 and 231 claims with unspecified age and 1791, 1187 and 614 claims with unspecified gender have been included under specific age and gender groups according to the relative number of claims in these groups before inclusion.
* Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test for linear trend in change: p < 0.001 for all groups.

ISSN: 1472-6963