title: Fat mass and skeletal muscle mass in hip-fracture women: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between appendicular lean mass (aLM) and age, fat mass (FM), serum levels of Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, three parameters of the protein nutritional status (total lymphocyte count, serum albumin, and insulin-like growth factor I), levels of independence in activities of daily living (assessed by using Barthel index scores), type both of hip fracture and surgical operation, number of medications in use, and number of concomitant diseases in hip-fracture women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 299 of 327 hip-fracture women admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital. Soft tissue body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, 22.1+/-7.5 (mean+/-S.D.) days after fracture occurrence. Appendicular LM was calculated as the sum of LM in arms and legs. Because metal implants (prostheses and nails) affect the regional assessment of body composition, aLM was corrected by substituting LM in unfractured leg for LM in fractured leg: corrected aLM=(LM in unfractured leg x 2)+LM in arms. We divided corrected aLM by height squared (aLM/ht(2)), to adjust it for body size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four variables were significantly correlated with corrected aLM: age, height, FM, and Barthel index score. FM was the only variable significantly correlated with aLM/ht(2) (r=0.492; p<0.001). This significant correlation was not affected after adjustment for age and Barthel index score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FM measured after hip fracture was significantly associated with aLM/ht(2) in women.
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, Presidio Sanitario San Camillo, Strada Santa Margherita 136, 10131 Torino, Italy. Medici@h-sancamillo.to.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Monaco
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vallero
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Monaco
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tappero
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavanna
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*