Epidemiology of traumatic brain injury older inpatients in Chinese military hospitals, 2001-2007.

•TBI among older people in China has increased by a mean yearly rate of 7.78%.•The leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle traffic and fall-related incidents.•TBI costs average US$795 for hospitalization with fatality rate of 9.38%.•Study on TBI epidemiology helps to design cost-effective preventive measures.