Relationship between family history of osteoporotic fracture and femur geometry

The principal aim of this study was therefore to investigate association between family history of osteo-porotic hip fracture, BMD and femur geometry in Bushehr city in South of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from Iranian Multi-center Osteoporosis Study [IMOS] in Bushehr. Healthy men and women aged 50 to 75 years were selected based on randomized clustered sampling of all regions of the corresponding city. BMD was measured once at the lumbar spine [L2-L4] and proximal femur with dual X-ray absorptiometry using Lunar DPX densitometers. From the DXA image the operator manually determines the hip axis length [HAL] and femoral neck-shaft angle. The HAL was measured from the inner pelvic brim to the lateral side of the femur .The femoral neck-shaft angle was defined as the angle between the femoral neck axis and the femoral shaft axis. There were no significant differences between the family fracture history groups with regard to the potential confounders of age and body mass index [BMI]. HAL of women with history of hip fracture was greater but history of hip fracture showed no significant relation with other variables. These findings suggest that individuals with a positive family history may be at higher risk of osteoporotic hip fracture because they have greater HAL and more prone to buckle at the femur neck