Distal forearm fracture history in an older community-dwelling population: the Nottingham Community Osteoporosis (NOCOS) study.
OBJECTIVE
to assess the prevalence of a history of Colles' fracture (occurring after the age of 40 years) and to ascertain the extent of investigation and treatment of osteoporosis in this population.


METHODS
we studied subjects aged > or =60 years from the age-sex register of three general practices. We recorded a history of fractures and details of any previous investigation for osteoporosis and treatment with bone-protective drugs. Bone mineral density was performed at the heel using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Lunar PIXI machine). We classified subjects into normal, osteopaenic or osteoporotic according to the machine manufacturer's recommended World Health Organisation 'equivalent T-score thresholds' (0.6 for osteopaenia and 1.6 for osteoporosis).


RESULTS
of the 605 subjects invited, we recruited 259 women and 194 men (response rate=74.8%). Twenty-eight (10.8%) of the women and five (2.6%) of the men had a history of Colles' fracture. Of women with a prevalent Colles' fracture, 39% were osteoporotic and 36% were osteopaenic. These rates were significantly greater than in women without a Colles' fracture (19.9% osteoporotic, 29.4% osteopaenic; P=0.018). Assuming the same PIXI thresholds for men, two (40%) of the five men with a history of Colles' fractures were osteoporotic and the rest were osteopaenic, compared with 20.6 and 31.2% of men without a history of Colles' fractures. None of the subjects in the Colles' fracture group had previously been investigated with bone densitometry. Women with and without a history of Colles' fracture did not differ significantly in ever having (32.1% vs 27.2%; P=0.4) or currently having (14.3% vs 10.4%; P=0.4) hormone replacement treatment. None of the men and only one woman with a previous Colles' fracture had ever taken a non-hormone replacement treatment for osteoporosis.


CONCLUSIONS
older community-dwelling subjects with previous Colles' fracture have a high prevalence of osteoporosis and are under-investigated and under-treated. Methods for identifying subjects with a previous Colles' fracture need to be developed in primary and secondary care.
Masud
T
T
Clinical Gerontological Research Unit and. Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. tm@nchhce.demon.co.uk
Jordan
D
D
Hosking
D J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003100:Colles' Fracture / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology