Age-related cancellous bone loss in the proximal femur of Caucasian females

The purpose of this investigation was to directly define the age-related in trafemoral variations in cancellous bone density, bone mineralization and r ate of bone loss in a cadaveric population of Caucasian female femoral neck s and trochanters. Forty-three Caucasian female femora were obtained and di vided into premenopausal, postmenopausal and elderly age groups. The neck a nd trochanter were removed, and cores of cancellous bone were taken from th e superior, middle and inferior regions; volume fraction and ash fraction w ere determined fur each core. The cancellous bone volume fraction of the ne ck was significantly greater than that of the trochanter, as was that of th e inferior region of the neck compared with the superior and middle regions at all age groups (p<0.05). The mean neck/trochanter and neck inferior/sup erior volume fraction ratios did not change with age; however, the variance increased with age (p<0.001). This increasing variability with age suggest s that there may be a subpopulation of individuals within the elderly Cauca sian population with a significantly different intrafemoral bone density di stribution than was present prior to menopause. This study identified no mi neralization changes with age in the cancellous bone of the proximal femur (p>0.05). The influence of increased neck/ trochanter and neck inferior/sup erior ratios on femoral neck integrity and fracture prediction is of intere st and requires further investigation.