title: Serum osteocalcin increases during fracture healing in elderly women with hip fracture.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to define the bone metabolic properties during the postfracture period in elderly women with hip fracture. Osteocalcin (Oc), a marker of bone formation, was measured in 58 women with hip fracture (77 +/- 7 years) admitted to the hospital from their own homes. Serum samples were taken on average 5 h (range 1-21) from fracture and at follow-up, on average 4.6 months later. Comparison was made with 58 age-matched (79 +/- 5 years) women. Women with hip fracture had initially 30% lower Oc levels compared to the controls (p = 0.0001). The Oc level was independent of time elapsed from trauma, within 18 h, after which the level further decreased. At follow-up, Oc showed a 44% increase (p = 0.0001) and had reached the level of the controls, but not beyond it. A concomitant, but less marked increase was noted for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p = 0.0001). We conclude that although the bone formation, as assessed by Oc, is apparently lower in elderly women who sustain a hip fracture, the ability to induce a fracture response, with an increased bone turnover during fracture healing is intact. Subsequently, it is essential that a time perspective is applied, as the bone metabolic changes in patients having sustained a fracture are related to the time elapsed from fracture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Malmö General Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akesson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vergnaud
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Delmas
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Obrant
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin