Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Method and Instrumented Fixture for Femoral Fracture Testing in a Sideways Fall-on-the-Hip Position
Published on: August 17, 2017
Sex-specific biomarkers predict bone mineral density loss at the contralateral hip after hip fracture
Alan M Rathbun1, Michelle D Shardell2, Alice S Ryan3
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Objective:
To identify inflammatory and hormonal biomarkers that predict bone loss at the contralateral (non-fractured) hip following hip fracture in males and females.
Methods:
White participants who were not receiving pre-fracture glucocorticoids, sex-hormone therapy, or bone-active medications (100 males, 76 females) with hip fractures. Data were collected within 22 days of hip fracture and at 2, 6, and 12 months follow-up. Biomarkers were categorized into tertiles: estradiol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3/D2, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptor 1, sex hormone-binding globulin, and testosterone. Femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) at the contralateral hip was assessed, and losses exceeding the mean decline were classified as greater than average. Logistic regression models, stratified by sex, were adjusted for confounders and evaluated selected biomarker associations.
Results:
Among males, the 2nd (OR = 4.79, P = 0.012) and 3rd (OR = 6.36, P = 0.005) IGF-1 tertiles were associated with greater odds of BMD loss than the 1st tertile. The 3rd iPTH tertile (OR = 3.79, P = 0.037) was similarly associated with increased odds. Among females, the 3rd (OR = 0.20, P = 0.031) IL-1RA tertile was associated with lower odds of BMD loss compared to the 1st tertile, while the 2nd IL-6 tertile (OR = 5.99, P = 0.036) was associated with higher odds.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that inflammatory and hormonal biomarkers may be sex-specific predictors of accelerated BMD loss following hip fracture.
Related Concept Videos
Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the...
Sensitivity, Specificity, and Predicted Value
Sensitivity is the...
Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Density, Specific Weight, Specific Gravity and Compressibility of Fluid
Specific weight represents the weight per unit volume and is calculated by multiplying...
Water and Mineral Acquisition
Line Loss
Line loss impacts power delivery efficiency in a balanced three-phase circuit. The symmetry in such a circuit simplifies the...

