Postural Stability and Colles' Fracture

Abstract

We have tested the hypothesis that the Colles' fracture is due, not simply to bone loss at the menopause, but to postural instability in a subset of postmenopausal women such that they are rendered more liable to fall. We have measured bone mass by dual photon spinal densitometry and single photon wrist densitometry and measured postural sway in 19 postmenopausal women with a history of Colles' fracture. Our results show that not only do Colles' fracture subjects have a small reduction in bone mass but they have a significantly increased degree of postural sway, a finding which has previously been recognized to characterize older subjects with recurrent falls.

Incidence of Colles' fracture in Uppsala

“…Some other studies have reported a decrease in fracture incidence among women in the highest age groups (Falch 1983, Solgaard andPetersen 1985) or a leveling off (Schmalholz 1988, Robertson et al 1990). The increased fracture propensity with age depends not only on the progressive reduction in bone mass, but also on, e.g., postural instability (Crilly et al 1987). Dissimilarities between materials could therefore also reflect more general health distinctions and not only osteoporosis per se.…”

The Relation Between Previous Fractures and Physical Performance in Elderly Women

“…Among reported risk factors for fracture are also slow gait and decreased vision 2,6,7 , both measures that are related to balance. There are several reports concerning decreased balance and function up to some years after a fracture [8][9][10][11][12][13] . There is only one study covering a longer time span (17 years) 14 , but none with an even longer perspective.…”

Factors Associated with Colles’ Fracture in the Elderly

“…In a random survey of the elderly popu lation Sheldon [1] found that 21% of men and 43% of women were affected. Falls are thought to be related to an increased degree of postural sway [2] which, itself, has been found to be affected by visual acuity, posture sense, leg power and mental function [3], Additionally, it has been suggested that im paired vision or hearing could lead to the individual's inability to cope with environ mental demand, resulting in imbalance and falls [4], The Colles' fractures which some times result are mainly a problem of the age ing female [5], Their incidence is related to the degree of osteopaenia of the distal radius and it has been suggested that the tendency to fracture represents a marker for those individuals destined to develop the further disabilities of osteoporosis [6], Values are given as means with the 95% Cl in parentheses.…”