Influence of age and morphological characteristics on hip bone strenghth indices in a group of Lebanese postmenopausal women

Abstract

Introduction – The aim of this study was to explore the influence of age and morphological characteristics on hip bone strength indices in a group of Lebanese postmenopausal women. Methods and results – 55 Lebanese post-menopausal (aged 65-84 years) women participated in this study. Weight and height were measured, and age and years since menopause were recorded. To evaluate bone geometry, DXA scans were analyzed at the femoral neck (FN), the intertrochanteric (IT) and the femoral shaft (FS) by the hip structure analysis (HSA) program. Cross-sectional area (CSA), an index of axial compression strength, section modulus (Z), an index of bending strength, cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI), cortical thickness (CT), and buckling ratio (BR) were measured from bone mass profiles. Results – Age was negatively correlated to FN, IT and FS cortical thickness and positively correlated to FN, IT and FS BR. Weight and height were positively correlated to CSA, CSMI and Z of the FN, the IT and the FS. Body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with CSA, CSMI, Z and CT of the FS and negatively associated with BR of the FS. Conclusion – This study suggests that BMI is a positive determinant of femoral shaft strength indices in post-menopausal women.