Low bone mineral density in Indian patients with fragility fractures

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a major risk factor for fragility fractures in osteoporosis. In recent studies, its use with clinical risk factors has been shown to enhance prediction of fragility fractures. The present study was done to assess BMD in Indian patients with fragility fractures using digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR-BMD).

A total of 228 patients (64 male and 164 female) admitted to an Orthopedic Hospital for management of fragility fracture were recruited. For each patient, DXR-BMD was obtained from an anteroposterior radiograph of the non-dominant hand.

The number of subjects with hip fracture was 104 (40 male, 64 female). Vertebral fractures were seen in 67 patients (11 male, 56 female) and distal radial fracture in 57 patients (13 male, 44 female). The DXR-BMD (g/cm(2)) was significantly lower in subjects with any fragility fracture (0.51 vs. 0.58 in men and 0.41 vs. 0.54 in women). When compared to the age-matched normative reference data by decade, all subjects with fragility fracture had significantly lower DXR-BMD except male subjects in the age decade of 40-49 years.

This study confirms lower DXR-BMD in Indian subjects with fragility fractures. This may have a potential role in fracture prediction when used with clinical risk factors in the Indian population.