The Relationship between Hip Fracture and Bone Mineral Density in Elderly Patients

Abstract

Purpose: The incidence of hip fracture associated with disability, pain and death increases in old age. The decreased bone mineral density, particularly due to osteoporosis, has been described as one of factors associated with the proximal femur fracture. Therefore, this study, measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of elderly patients with hip fractures to better understand the relationship between osteoporosis and proximal femur fractures. Materials and Methods: The bone densities of the femoral neck and trochanteric region were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in 60 patients with femur neck fractures and 82 patients with intertrochanteric fractures. Individuals (158 subjects) who had their BMD checked in a Health promotion center without a proximal femoral fracture were selected as a control group. The patients were divided into subgroups according to gender and type of fracture. Results: The BMD of the hip in the patients with proximal femur fractures was significantly lower than that of the control subjects. The intertrochanteric fracture group had a lower T-score than the femur neck fracture group. However the differences were not significant. No significant differences were found between the displaced and undisplaced femur neck fracture groups and between the stable and unstable intertrochanteric fracture groups. Conclusion: The BMD in elderly patients with proximal femur fracture was significantly lower than that of the control group. There was a poorer association between a decreased BMD and femur neck fractures in elderly males. There were no association between the BMD and location of the fracture or fracture type.