Bone Health

Important Predictors of Hip Fracture

Information about an individual woman’s bone mineral density (BMD) should be combined with everything else that is known about that individual’s risks and personal medical history.

In a single measure of bone density, there is a small risk of inaccurate values. Additionally there is no value for BMD that distinguishes between women who will or will not develop a hip fracture.

Just as cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attack, it is only one risk factor and does not correlate 100% with the development of heart disease. The same is true for bone density, this value alone does not determine the likelihood of overall bone disease or hip fracture risk.

Although low BMD has been established as an important predictor of future hip fracture risk, the results of many studies indicate that clinical risk factors related to risk of fall are as important.

Fracture risk has been consistently associated with a history of falls. Incidence of falls rise with declining physical function (aging), slow walking speed, decreased muscle strength, poor vision, impaired mental status (e.g. use of psychotropic or sedating medications), and the presence of household hazards (e.g., dim lighting, throw rugs).