Low physical function and lower lean body mass may put older adults at risk for greater bone loss in the year following a hip fracture, according to a new study.
Investigators analyzed one-year outcomes in older men and women who had operations for a hip fracture. A lower score on a standardized physical function test and “major difficulty” in the ability to walk outdoors predicted greater deterioration of bone density and strength in the tibia (front bone of the leg).
The results are in line with previous research showing that greater physical function equals better bone recovery, wrote Tuuli H. Suominen, from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, and colleagues. In addition, the ability to bear relatively greater weight loads — such as body weight when walking — appears to stimulate better bone recovery.
“In older — often frail and undernourished — hip fracture patients, higher lean body mass may also reflect better resources to cope with a prolonged [recovery] and hip-fracture-related stresses,” wrote Suominen.
“Acknowledgement of the risk factors could assist in developing interventions and care to promote bone health and overall recovery,” she concluded.
The study was published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
