title: Exploring the relationship between bone density and severity of distal radius fragility fracture in women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bone mineral density (BMD) has been shown to be a consistent and independent risk factor for distal radius fracture. Inconsistent data have been reported on the association between BMD and severity of distal radius fracture. Our primary aim was to explore if there is an association between cortical BMD at the hand and the severity of fragility distal radius fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutively recruited females aged ≥ 50 years with fragility fracture at the distal radius (n = 110) from a county hospital were included. Cortical hand BMD was assessed by the digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) method. X-rays of the fracture were scored by experienced orthopedic surgeons for fracture severity according to the Müller AO classification of long bones and radiographic parameters such as ulnar variance and dorsal angle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A weak association between lower DXR BMD and increased ulnar variance and dorsal angle was found but not with the AO scoring system for fracture type. A history of glucocorticoid (GC) use but not DXR-BMD was found to be significantly associated with the presence of having an intra- or extra-articular fracture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that bone material properties which are impaired by GC use are more important for fracture severity than BMD.
authors.affiliation: INM Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway. alvilde.dhainaut@ntnu.no.|MTFS-Department of Neuroscience, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7489, Norway. alvilde.dhainaut@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Alvilde
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhainaut
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, S 4604, Norway. kamil.daibes@helse-bergen.no.
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daibes
authors.affiliation: INM Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway. odinn@online.no.|Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, 7030, Norway. odinn@online.no.
authors.forename: Adalsteinn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Odinsson
authors.affiliation: INM Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway. mari.hoff@ntnu.no.|Department of Rheumatology, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, 7030, Norway. mari.hoff@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, 7491, Norway. unni.syversen@ntnu.no.|Department of Endocrinology, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, 7030, Norway. unni.syversen@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Unni
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Syversen
authors.affiliation: INM Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway. glenn.haugeberg@sshf.no.|Department of Rheumatology, Sørlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, S 4604, Norway. glenn.haugeberg@sshf.no.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haugeberg
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors