High Prevalence of Osteoporosis in Men with Distal Radius Fracture: A Cross-Sectional Study of 233 Men

Distal radius fracture is an early indicator of osteoporosis, yet little is known about men with this fracture and osteoporosis prevalence. The purpose of this cross-sectional, controlled study was to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in men, from working age to the elderly, with distal radius fracture. Recruitment was as follows: men who fractured during 1999-2000 were evaluated retrospectively in 2003 and men who fractured during 2003-2007 were followed prospectively for one year post-fracture. A total of 233 patients, response rate 40 %, were enrolled and compared with 643 controls. Fractures from all degrees of trauma were included. BMD was measured at femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine. Mean age at fracture was 52 years (21-88 years). Men aged 40-64 years had 5.4-6.7 % lower BMD at all sites compared to controls (p = 0.001) and in > 65 years BMD was lower by 10.7-13.8 % (p < 0.001), while not significant at < 40 years (1.4-2.8 %; p = 0.228-0.487). Osteoporosis was more prevalent at all ages (20-39 years: 8.5 vs 1.5 %; 40-64 years: 16.8 vs 5.1 %; > 65 years: 23.3 vs 8.3 %) BMD did not differ with trauma level. Already from age 40, men with a distal radius fracture had lower BMD, the difference becoming more pronounced with increasing age. Also, the prevalence of osteoporosis was higher, surprisingly even in the youngest age group.