BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (Mar 2010)

Hip and fragility fracture prediction by 4-item clinical risk score and mobile heel BMD: a women cohort study

  • Thulesius Hans,
  • Petersson Christer,
  • Mellström Dan,
  • Albertsson Daniel,
  • Eggertsen Robert

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-11-55
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 55

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background One in four Swedish women suffers a hip fracture yielding high morbidity and mortality. We wanted to revalidate a 4-item clinical risk score and evaluate a portable heel bone mineral density (BMD) technique regarding hip and fragility fracture risk among elderly women. Methods In a population-based prospective cohort study we used clinical risk factors from a baseline questionnaire and heel BMD to predict a two-year hip and fragility fracture outcome for women, in a fracture preventive program. Calcaneal heel BMD was measured by portable dual X-ray laser absorptiometry (DXL) and compared to hip BMD, measured with stationary dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) technique. Results Seven women suffered hip fracture and 14 women fragility fracture/s (at hip, radius, humerus and pelvis) among 285 women; 60% having heel BMD ≤ -2.5 SD. The 4-item FRAMO (Fracture and Mortality) Index combined the clinical risk factors age ≥80 years, weight Conclusions In a follow-up study we identified high risk groups for hip and fragility fracture with our plain 4-item risk model. Increased fracture risk was also related to decreasing heel BMD in calcaneal bone, measured with a mobile DXL technique. A combination of high FRAMO Index, prior fragility fracture, and very low BMD restricted the high risk group to 11%, among whom most hip fractures occurred (71%). These practical screening methods could eventually reduce hip fracture incidence by concentrating preventive resources to high fracture risk women.