[Risk factors for osteoporosis in women having hip fractures after 60 years of age].

OBJECTIVES

Management of hip fractures in elderly women should not be confined to surgical treatment and rehabilitation, but also encompasses interventions and measures to protect them from hip fractures. We administered a questionnaire to female patients with hip fractures to determine their social profiles and risk factors.

METHODS

A total of 107 female patients (mean age 74 years; range 63 to 100 years) who experienced hip fractures after the age of 60 years were administered a questionnaire to determine their physical and social characteristics, medical conditions , and nutritional status. In addition, the types of fractures and the Singh index were determined on hip radiographs. Femoral neck (n=51, 47.7%) and intertrochanteric (n=56, 52.3%) fractures were classified according to the Garden and modified Evans classifications, respectively.

RESULTS

The mean body mass index was 23 kg/m2. The Singh index was grade 3 in 70.1%, grade 2 in 26.2%, grade 4 in 2.8%, and grade 1 in 0.9%. Forty-four patients (41.1%) were illiterate, and 31 patients (29%) were only literate or could finish primary school. A history of smoking was found in 29.9% for a mean duration of 30.7 years. The majority of patients (67.3%) had limited activity and 63.6% had no outdoor work at all. None of them had a regular sport activity. Only two patients (1.9%) received inadequate and short-term postmenopausal therapy. The mean daily milk consumption was less than a glass (125-150 ml). Calcium supplements were used in only 5.6%. A history of previous fractures (hip, vertebra, distal radius) was detected in 9.3%. The most common coexistent diseases were hypertension (50%) and diabetes (29%). None of the patients had bone mineral density measurements.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that, despite the high incidence of risk factors for osteoporosis, few patients received medical care for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, and that preventive health care measures were not available for this patient group.