THE INFLUENCE OF FAMILY HISTORY OF HIP FRACTURE ON THE RISK OF VERTEBRAL DEFORMITY IN MEN AND WOMEN - THE EUROPEAN VERTEBRAL OSTEOPOROSIS STUDY

There are few data exploring clustering of osteoporotic fractures with in families. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of m aternal and paternal history of hip fracture on the risk of vertebral deformity. 12,816 men and women aged 50 to 75 years were recruited fro m population based sampling frames across Europe. Subjects were invite d to attend by letter of invitation for an interviewer administered qu estionnaire and lateral spinal radiographs. Vertebral deformity was de fined morphometrically using the McCloskey-Kanis method. 6.4% of men a nd 7.1% of women reported that their mother had suffered a hip fractur e, while 1.7% of both men and women reported that their father had suf fered a hip fracture. A maternal history of hip fracture was associate d with a modest increased risk of vertebral deformity in men [odds rat io (OR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.8], the risk being gre ater among those aged 65 years and over (OR = 1.5; 95% Ct 1.0-2.4) and in those from low prevalence areas. There was no increased risk in wo men. Paternal history of hip fracture was not associated with vertebra l deformity in either sex. In conclusion, maternal history of hip frac ture appears to be a risk factor for vertebral deformity, particularly in men. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.