Osteoporosis and radial head fractures in female patients: a case–control study

Background Identifying radial head fractures as fragility fractures may improve case-findings for osteoporosis and thus be an indicator other fragility fractures. Materials and methods Thirty-five women aged ≥50 years with a radial head fracture and 57 controls were retrospectively selected and matched for age in strata of 5 years. Peripheral bone mineral density (BMD) measurement was performed at the calcaneus. A T score of less than −2.7 was considered osteoporosis. If the T value was between −1.4 and −2.7, an additional dual energy X-ray (DXA) scan was performed. Results The patients were a median age of 60 years compared with 58 years for the control patients ( P  = .33). The mean T score of the patients was −1.8 (standard deviation [SD], 1.0; range, −2.2 to −0.3) compared with −1.2 (SD, 1.2; range, −4.0 to 1.3) for the control patients ( P  = .04). Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 11 patients and in 5 control patients. The patients had an increased risk of osteoporosis compared with the control patients (odds ratio, 3.4; P  = .027). Conclusions This study confirms that radial head fractures in women aged ≥50 years are potentially osteoporotic fractures. Offering these patients a BMD measurement may prevent future osteoporotic fractures, such as hip and spine fractures.