Cervical and trochanteric hip fractures: Bone mass and other parameters

We examined 310 hip fracture patients (55 men, 255 women) to identify diffe rences in those patients who had suffered a cervical fracture compared with those with a trochanteric fracture of the hip. Patients underwent a dual-e nergy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan of their hip and total body and quant itative ultrasound (QUS) scans of their heel. Other measurements included m edical/drug history. Significant differences were found for broadband ultra sound attenuation (BUA) and DXA total-body measurements, with those with a cervical fracture having a higher bone mass. Those with a trochanteric frac ture showed a significantly higher incidence of stroke (12.8% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.05), while high blood pressure/antihypertensive therapy was significantl y more common in the cervical fracture group (11.6% vs. 4.3%, p < 0.03). Th erefore, it is not only bone parameters that differ in these patients. In t he presence of certain medical conditions, preventative therapy may be dire cted to managing co-existing conditions as well as improving bone density.