title: [Osteoporosis and the thalassemia "trait"].
abstract: The authors evaluated the prevalence of the thalassemia trait in a general population affected with femoral neck fractures. Our research was aimed at assessing whether hemoglobinopathy might affect osteoporosis, which is responsible for femoral fractures. Two hundred and thirty-eight patients admitted to St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, for proximal femoral fractures, were retrospectively studied. The patients were 68 males and 170 females, aged 58 to 83 years (mean age: 70.4 years). The thalassemia trait was seen in 11.76% of cases, versus in 7-8% of the general population. The high prevalence of heterozygous beta-thalassemic subjects probably means that the beta-thalassemia condition is a further "variable" which is responsible for the more frequent occurrence of fractures of the proximal femur and is certainly related to an osteopenic condition much more severe than usual.
authors: Servizio di Radiologia e Medicina Nucleare, Arcispedale S. Anna, Ferrara.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Orzincolo
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Castaldi
authors: P N
authors: PN
authors: Scutellari
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Vita
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Bagni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000737:chemistry; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
vernacular_title: Osteoporosi e "trait" talassemico.