Proximal femoral fracture in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Hip fracture occurrence was examined cross-sectionally in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Between January 2005 and June 2006 we studied RA outpatients with a past history of hip fractures. Patients included 1 man and 25 women. As 3 women had bilateral hip fractures, the total number was 29. Age at the time of fracture was 72.1 +/- 4.5 years. Of the 29 fractures, 22 were cervical and 7 were trochanteric. Four fractures were spontaneous while the others occurred in falls. 24 fractures were associated with oral steroid administration. All 5 fractures unassociated with prednisolone were cervical. Of the 26 patients, 8 were taking bisphosphonate when fracture occurred. Cervical fracture was treated with total hip arthroplasty in 1 patient whose hip showed RA changes. In others whose hip joint lacked RA change, procedures included osteosynthesis in 2 patients with good function over 6 years; and hemiarthroplasty with a bipolar system in 19 displaced fractures, with good function over 4.1 years. Osteosynthesis was performed for all 7 trochanteric fractures. Trabeculae were thin, and fewer transverse trabeculae could be found in specimens from cervical fracture. Hip fracture in RA patients occurred 10 years earlier than in the general population, and many fractures were cervical.