Clinical Risk Factors for Hip Fracture in Young Adults Under 50 Years Old

Abstract

Background: Established risk factors for hip fracture exist for older individuals. Young adults (less than 50 years old) presenting with hip fractures have received little attention.

Methods: The records of all adults, presenting over a 5-year period (1999-2004), to a large inner city teaching hospital, with a diagnosis of hip fracture, were reviewed. Of the 2,778 subjects, 196 involved people less than 65 years of age, limiting this to those less than 50 years old left 42 subjects [30 F/12 M, median (IQR) age 43 (37-47) years old]. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to examine for clinical risk factors.

Results: In this cohort regression analysis revealed a history of high impact trauma (β = 0.219, p = 0.002) and intravenous drug abuse (β = 0.206, p = 0.003) as predictors for risk of hip fracture.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that intravenous drug abusers under 50 are a particular group that we should be targeting for intervention strategies.

Keywords: Drug abuser; Hip; Hip fracture; Under fifties.