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Bone, cognitive, and anthropometric profiles and their relation to fracture sites in fallers: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Summary

Risk factors involved in the different osteoporotic fracture locations are not well-known. The results of this study suggest that there is not one typical profile characterising a particular fracture site but that the occurrence of a fracture may result from the combination of different bone, cognitive, and anthropometrics characteristics.

Purpose

Risk factors involved in the different osteoporotic fracture locations are not well-known. The aim of this study was to identify the differences in bone, cognitive, and anthropometric characteristics between different fracture sites, and to determine whether the site of a fall-related fracture is related to a specific profile.

Methods

One hundred six women aged 55 years and older with a recent fall-related fracture of the hip (n = 30), humerus (n = 28), wrist (n = 32), or ankle (n = 16) were included. Bone, cognitive, and anthropometric characteristics were first compared among the four fracture site groups. Then, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and a comparison was made between the four profiles identified by the first two PCA components.

Results

The four fracture site groups differed significantly in their education level, bone mineral density (BMD), body mass index (BMI), fear of falling, and number of errors in the Trail Making Test B, an executive function test. Each of the four fracture sites was found in each four PCA profiles, albeit with a different distribution. The profiles differed mainly by bone, cognitive, and anthropometric characteristics, but also by fear of falling.

Conclusions

The fall-related fracture sites differ significantly in anthropometric and bone parameters, in fear of falling and in cognitive abilities. There is not one typical bone, cognitive, and anthropometric profile characterising a particular fall-related site, but rather several possible profiles for a given site. This suggests that the fracture site depends on a combination of several characteristics of the patient.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Kristell Pothier for her significant contribution to the experimental part, Anita Jamet for her contribution to the recruitment of the participants, and Valérie Constans for English proofreading.

Funding

This work was supported by the French Ministry of Health (PHRC Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2011 no. 2011-A00534-37).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM, UniCaen, U1075, COMETE, PFRS, Normandie University, Caen, France

    Maëlle Baillet, Chantal Chavoix & Christian Marcelli

  2. Department of Rheumatology, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France

    Maëlle Baillet & Christian Marcelli

  3. Department of Statistics and Clinical Research, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France

    Rémy Morello

  4. Department of Rheumatology, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France

    Olivier Vittecoq

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  1. Maëlle Baillet
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Correspondence to Christian Marcelli.

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Baillet, M., Morello, R., Vittecoq, O. et al. Bone, cognitive, and anthropometric profiles and their relation to fracture sites in fallers: a cross-sectional study. Osteoporos Int 34, 901–913 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-023-06701-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-023-06701-1

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