Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Costo-iliac distance: a physical sign of understated importance

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Irish Journal of Medical Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Osteoporosis is a common condition, especially affecting the older female population. The ability to predict loss of lumbar height using simple anatomical measurements would be a useful tool.

Methods

Forty subjects were recruited. Mean age was 72 years. Arm span (AS) and the costo-iliac distance (CID) were measured. The CID/AS ratio was calculated. The L1–L4 vertebral height of each patient was obtained from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Results

There was a statistically significant correlation between the lumbar height and CID/AS ratio (R 2 = 0.79, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The CID/AS ratio may be a useful bedside test in identifying loss of lumbar vertebral height.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Eastell R (1999) Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 338:736–746

    Google Scholar 

  2. Browner WS, Pressman AR, Nevitt MC, Cummings SR, For the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. (1996) Mortality following fractures in older women: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Arch Intern Med 156:1521–1525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Assessment of fracture risk and its application to screening for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Report of a WHO study group. WHO technical report series 1994: 843: 1–129

  4. Ensrud KE, Thompson DE, Cauley JA, Nevitt MC, Kado DM, Hochberg MC, Santora AC 2nd, Black DM (2000) Prevalent vertebral deformities predict mortality and hospitalization in older women with low bone mass. Fracture Intervention Trial Research Group. J Am Geriatr Soc 48(3):241–249

    Google Scholar 

  5. Francis RM, Baillie SP, Chuck AJ, Crook PR et al (2004) Acute and long-term management of patients with vertebral fractures. QJM 97(2):63–74

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. O’Neill TW, Felsenberg D, Varlow J, Cooper C, Kanis JA, Silman AJ (1996) The prevalence of vertebral deformity in European men and women: the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study. J Bone Miner Res 1:1110–1118

    Google Scholar 

  7. Centre JR, Nguyen TV, Pocock NA et al (1999) Mortality after all major types of osteoporotic fracture in men and women: an observational study. Lancet 353:878–882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Poole KE, Compston JE (2006) Osteoporosis and its management. BMJ. 333(7581):1251–1256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Steele MF, Chenier TC (1990) Arm-span, height, and age in black and white women. Ann Hum Biol 17(6):533–541

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Verhaar HJ, Koele JJ, Neijzen T et al (1998) Are arm span measurements useful in the prediction of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women? Osteoporosis Int 8(2):174–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Republic of Ireland

    P. J. Barry & D. O’Mahony

Authors
  1. P. J. Barry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. O’Mahony
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. J. Barry.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barry, P.J., O’Mahony, D. Costo-iliac distance: a physical sign of understated importance. Ir J Med Sci 181, 151–153 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-011-0763-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-011-0763-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation