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Updated: May 29, 2026
Cortical Bone Assessment Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves: A Reproducibility Study in a Healthy Population
Published on: January 31, 2025
[Risk factors for fragility fractures in a cohort of Spanish women]
Cristian Tebé1, Luis Miguel del Río, Lidia Casas
1Agència d'Informació, Avaluació i Qualitat en Salut (AIAQS), Barcelona, España. ctebe@aatrm.catsalut.cat
Introduction:
Fragility fractures are an important public health issue. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of the main osteoporotic risk factors related to fragility fracture in a cohort of women with an indication of bone densitometry (BD).
Methods:
A retrospective cohort was followed-up until a fragile fracture occurred, in a population of women aged 40 to 90 years with a first visit for BD between January 1992 and February 2008. We calculated the incidence rate of fracture per 1000 women-years of follow-up, and the hazard ratio (HR) of fragile fracture using a Cox regression model.
Results:
A total of 49,735 women were studied. The average age of participants was 57.8 years (SD: 8.5). Of these, 3631 women (7.1%) reported a new fragility fracture in post-baseline visits. Risk factors with higher adjusted HR were age ≥ 75 years compared with age < 55 years (HR: 3.8; 95% CI: 3.3-4.4) and having a BC result evaluated as osteoporosis compared to normal (HR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.8-2.2). A personal history of humerus, hip or vertebral fractures had an adjusted HR of 1.2 (95% CI: 1.1-1.3).
Conclusions:
The main risk factors for fragility fracture were advanced age, BD result and a personal history of fracture, although 74% of fractures were detected with a bone mineral density classified as normal or osteopenia. Other relevant factors were rheumatoid arthritis or having received prolonged corticosteroid therapy.
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