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. 2018 Feb;29(2):365-373.
doi: 10.1007/s00198-017-4280-0. Epub 2017 Oct 24.

Older men who sustain a hip fracture experience greater declines in bone mineral density at the contralateral hip than non-fractured comparators

A M Rathbun  1   2 , J Magaziner  3 , M D Shardell  4 , L M Yerges-Armstrong  5 , D Orwig  3 , G E Hicks  6 , M C Hochberg  3
Affiliations

Older men who sustain a hip fracture experience greater declines in bone mineral density at the contralateral hip than non-fractured comparators

A M Rathbun et al. Osteoporos Int. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Men experience declining bone mineral density (BMD) after hip fracture; however, changes attributable to fracture are unknown. This study evaluated the excess BMD decline attributable to hip fracture among older men. Older men with hip fracture experienced accelerated BMD declines and are at an increased risk of secondary fractures.

Introduction: The objective was to determine whether bone mineral density (BMD) changes in men after hip fracture exceed that expected with aging.

Methods: Two cohorts were used: Baltimore Hip Studies 7th cohort (BHS-7) and Baltimore Men's Osteoporosis Study (MOST). BHS-7 recruited older adults (N = 339) hospitalized for hip fracture; assessments occurred within 22 days of admission and at 2, 6, and 12 months follow-up. MOST enrolled age-eligible men (N = 694) from population-based listings; data were collected at a baseline visit and a second visit that occurred between 10 and 31 months later. The combined sample (n = 452) consisted of Caucasian men from BHS-7 (n = 89) and MOST (n = 363) with ≥ 2 dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and overlapping ranges of age, height, and weight. Mixed-effect models estimated rates of BMD change, and generalized linear models evaluated differences in annual bone loss at the total hip and femoral neck between cohorts.

Results: Adjusted changes in total hip and femoral neck BMD were - 4.16% (95% CI, - 4.87 to - 3.46%) and - 4.90% (95% CI, - 5.88 to - 3.92%) in BHS-7 participants; - 1.57% (95% CI, - 2.19 to - 0.96%) and - 0.99% (95% CI, - 1.88 to - 0.10%) in MOST participants; and statistically significant (P < 0.001) between-group differences in change were - 2.59% (95% CI, - 3.26 to - 1.91%) and - 3.91% (95% CI, - 4.83 to - 2.98%), respectively.

Conclusion: Hip fracture in older men is associated with accelerated BMD declines at the non-fractured hip that are greater than those expected during aging, and pharmacological interventions in this population to prevent secondary fractures may be warranted.

Keywords: Aging; Epidemiology; Fracture prevention; Hip fracture; Osteoporosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

Jay Magaziner has consulting agreements with Ammonett, Novartis, and Pluristem. Denise Orwig has consulting agreements with Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Laura M. Yerges-Armstrong is a statistical geneticist at GlaxoSmithKline. Drs. Alan M. Rathbun, Michelle D. Shardell, Gregory E. Hicks, and Marc C. Hochberg have no disclosures to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study sample flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Longitudinal scatterplots of total hip (a and c) and femoral neck (b and d) BMD in BHS-7 (a and b) and MOST (c and d) participants; BHS-7, Baltimore Hip Studies 7th cohort; BMD, bone mineral density; MOST, Baltimore Men’s Osteoporosis Study
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of unadjusted annual percent change in total hip (a) and femoral neck (b) BMD in BHS-7 and MOST participants; BHS-7, Baltimore Hip Studies 7th cohort; BMD, bone mineral density; MOST, Baltimore Men’s Osteoporosis Study
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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