Is Sarcopenia a Potential Risk Factor for Distal Radius Fracture? Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Gerontology
• Bone Health

Background:

• Increasing incidence of low-energy distal radius fractures (DRF).
• Sarcopenia, characterized by low muscle mass, is a known risk factor for fragility fractures.
• Investigating the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and DRF is crucial for understanding fracture etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare appendicular lean muscle mass (ALM) and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with DRF versus a control group.
• To determine the correlation between skeletal muscle mass and the occurrence of DRF.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 87 patients with fragility DRF.
• Propensity score matching (n=87) of controls from a general population (n=2,124) based on age, weight, height, and BMI.
• Comparison of ALM, BMD (T-score), and osteoporosis prevalence between groups.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in relative overall ALM between DRF patients and controls (6.093 kg/m² vs. 5.945 kg/m²).
• Significantly lower BMD T-scores in the DRF group (-2.42) compared to controls (-2.05).
• Higher proportion of osteoporosis in the DRF group (50.6%) versus controls (33.3%).

Conclusions:

• Patients with DRF do not exhibit significantly lower average lean body mass.
• Reduced bone mineral density is a significant characteristic of patients with distal radius fractures.
• Osteoporosis is more prevalent in individuals experiencing distal radius fractures.