Colles' fracture and osteoporosis are independent predictors of hip fracture

A new study showed that patients who suffered a Colles’ fracture are six times more likely than controls to suffer a subsequent hip fracture.
In the study, which was presented at a recent Osteoporosis Foundation meeting in Hong Kong, researchers T.-L. Huang and C.-W. Chen, of China Medical University, in Chinese Taipei, showed that hip fracture incidence was highest within 1 month after subjects sustained a Colles’ fracture and that hip fracture incidence increased with age.
They used fracture risk data from patients with newly-diagnosed Colles’ fractures from 2000 to 2006 and compared them to data for a cohort without Colles’ fractures. Both groups had 1 year follow-up and investigators measured hip fracture incidence using three calculation models.
Results showed that the Colles’ fracture group’s hip fracture incidence per 10,000 person years was 56.0 vs. 9.3 for the comparison group. Both Colles’ fracture and osteoporosis were significant independent factors that predicted hip fracture, based on a press release about the study from the Osteoporosis Foundation.
One calculation model showed the risk of hip fracture was greater for the Colles’ fracture group (HR, 6.59; 95% CI, 4.74-9.17) than for the osteoporosis group (HR, 4.30; 95% CI, 2.95-6.26). Huang and colleagues also reported that hip fracture hazard was further increased for patients with osteoporosis who also experienced a Colles’ fractures (HR, 7.73; 95% CI, 4.72-12.7).

Reference:

Huang T. J Osteoporos Int. 2013;doi: 10.1007/s00198-013-2536-x.

Disclosure: No significant financial disclosures were reported by the authors.