Abstract
We evaluated bone atrophy and femoral neck morphology in 65 female patients with hip fractures (31 trochanteric, 34 neck) and 26 healthy female controls by radiographic morphometry.
Regarding bone atrophy, the Singh index was significantly lower in the two fracture groups than in the controls. The ratio of width of calcar femorale to neck width was significantly lower in the neck fracture patients than that in either the controls or the trochanteric fracture group. The ratio of cortical width 3cm below the lesser trochanter and that at the midshaft of the femur to overall width were significantly lower in the trochanteric fracture patients than in the controls. Regarding femoral neck morphology, there was no significant difference in any of the measurements of proximal femoral geometry (i.e. femoral neck angle, hip axis length and the ratio of neck width to head and trochanteric width) among the three groups.
We speculate that low cortical bone mass at the calcar is associated with neck fracture risk, and that 3cm below the lesser trochanter in associated with trochanteric fracture risk, but geometric characteristics of the femoral neck in Japanese women are not so associated with overall risks of hip fracture.
