T-Score and Handgrip Strength Association for the Diagnosis of Osteosarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Osteosarcopenia is a recently identified condition caused by the coexistence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia that affects the frail elderly population, leading to an increased risk of falls and fractures. Given the recent socio-economic interest associated with osteosarcopenia, the aim of this meta-analysis is to provide an overview of the factors potentially involved in its pathogenesis, assessing its population type, prevalence, and associated variables. Methods: A comprehensive systematic search for relevant studies, published from 2015 to 2020, was performed by using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. We analysed the variables of age, vitamin D, handgrip, and T-score in four different groups: healthy, osteopenic–osteoporotic, sarcopenic, and osteosarcopenic. Results: A total of 6504 patients from 16 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The analysis of the individual variables reveals a statistically significant correlation between the handgrip test data and T-score (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The correlation between T-score values and handgrip strength suggests a new potential parameter in the development of predictive models that could be used in clinical practice, highlighting its importance for the diagnosis of osteosarcopenia.

Keywords

• systematic review
• meta-analysis
• osteosarcopenia
• sarcopenia
• osteoporosis
• T-score