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Multicenter Study
. 2015 Jan;19(1):113-20.
doi: 10.1007/s12603-014-0476-6.

Community-dwelling female fallers have lower muscle density in their lower legs than non-fallers: evidence from the Saskatoon Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) cohort

A W Frank  1 , J P Farthing, P D Chilibeck, C M Arnold, W P Olszynski, S A Kontulainen
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Community-dwelling female fallers have lower muscle density in their lower legs than non-fallers: evidence from the Saskatoon Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) cohort

A W Frank et al. J Nutr Health Aging. 2015 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: Our objectives were to determine whether peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)-derived lower leg muscle density and area, and basic functional mobility differ between community-dwelling older women who do and do not report recent falls.

Design: Matched case-control comparison.

Setting: Academic biomedical imaging laboratory.

Participants: 147 Women, 60 years or older (mean age 74.3 y, SD 7.7) recruited from a longitudinal, population-based cohort representing community-dwelling residents in the area of Saskatoon, Canada.

Measurements: A cross-sectional pQCT scan of the non-dominant lower leg was acquired to determine muscle density and area. Basic functional mobility (Timed Up and Go Test [TUG]) and SF36 health status were also measured. Fallers (one or more falls) and non-fallers (no falls) were grouped according to a 12-month retrospective survey and matched on measured covariates.

Results: The muscle density of fallers (n = 35) was a median of 2.1 mg/cm3 lower (P = 0.019, 95% C.I. -3.9 to -0.1) than non-fallers (n = 78) after matching and adjusting for age, body mass index, and SF36 general health scores. Muscle area and TUG did not differ between fallers and non-fallers.

Conclusions: Muscle density may serve as a physiological marker in the assessment of lower leg muscular health and fall risk in community-dwelling elderly women. These results are limited to our study population who were mostly Caucasian. Prospective studies are required for verification.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Matching diagnostics: The imbalance of faller & non-faller absolute standardized difference in means for each covariate before and after the matching process
Figure 2
Figure 2
Participant recruitment and data analysis flow chart. The number of participants excluded and the reasons for their exclusion at each step are provided
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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