Relationship between the Incidence of Hip Fracture and Bone Mineral Density of the Third Lumbar Vertebra

To investigate if there is correlation between the degree of osteopenia and likelihood to develop hip fracture, trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) of the third lumbar vertebra was measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) technique in 31 cases with hip fracture and 30 control ambulatory cases without hip, distal radius, or proximal humerus fracture. All examinees in the present study were women from 67 to 90 years of age in the hip fracture group and 65 to 90 years in the control group.Results: The BMD distribution pattern of all cases in each group showed that BMD of the fracture group was significantly more than that of the control group. The BMD of the hip fracture group was less than that of the control group in age range 81-90 years, and more in age 71-80 years.Conclusion: These facts suggest that the severity of spinal osteopenia has little to do directly with the incidence of hip fracture in the elderly, even if it can predispose it.