Trabecular osteopenia in Colles' fracture.

Bone density was measured in 23 postmenopausal women with Colles' fracture. Trabecular spine density was measured by quantitative computed tomography. The bone mineral density in the distal radius and in the diaphysis of the radius and ulna was measured by the gamma ray attenuation method. Compared with age-matched controls, the patients were found to have reduced trabecular bone mass in the spine and distal radius, but no osteopenia in the diaphysis of the radius and ulna. The mean age-corrected decrease was 0.7 SD in the spine and 0.5 SD in the distal end of the radius. The results suggest that patients with Colles' fracture have trabecular but not cortical osteopenia.