Hip Shape and Hip Fracture Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Baker-LePain Julie C, Luker Kali R, Lynch John A, Parimi Neeta, Nevitt Michael C, Lane Nancy E
Primary Institution: University of California–San Francisco
Hypothesis
Can the shape of the proximal femur predict the risk of incident hip fractures in elderly women?
Conclusion
Variations in the shape of the femoral head and neck are significant determinants of incident hip fractures.
Supporting Evidence
- Hip shape analysis improved fracture prediction models compared to bone mineral density alone.
- The study found that the combination of hip shape and femoral neck BMD provided the best predictive ability for hip fractures.
- Ten modes of variation in hip shape explained over 95% of the variance in hip shape.
- Hips with extreme values of mode 4 had a significantly increased risk of hip fracture.
Takeaway
The shape of your hip can help doctors figure out if you're at risk for breaking it, especially as you get older.
Methodology
A nested case-control study using active shape modeling to analyze hip shape in relation to hip fracture risk.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to exclusion of subjects with radiographic hip osteoarthritis and reliance on 2D imaging.
Limitations
The study only included elderly white women, which may limit generalizability to other populations.
Participant Demographics
Postmenopausal white women aged 65 and older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.68–3.31
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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