Association Between Preexisting Medical Conditions and Sites of Fragility Fractures: An Analytical Study

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntroduction: medical history increases the risk of fragility fractures, predisposing to more vulnerable areas according to the type of history.

Objective: to determine the most vulnerable areas of fragility fractures according to clinical history.

Materials and method: analytical and cross-sectional study of a secondary database of 719 adults. The variables were the presence of shoulder, wrist, hip and ankle fractures, age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, smoking, reduced mobility, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis, age, arthritis, renal, cardiovascular and thyroid disease, cancer and number of comorbidities. The automatic detection tree of chi-square interactions and Cramer's V were used.

Results: the decision tree identified key variables of fragility fracture areas, age group, diabetes and comorbidities. Ankle fractures were associated primarily with individuals aged 50 to 65 years with diabetes (V=0.181; p<0.001). Hip fractures with individuals aged 84 years or older (V=0.332; p<0.001). Shoulder and wrist fractures with individuals aged 66 to 83 years with two or fewer comorbidities (V=0.216; p<0.001).

Conclusions: fragility fractures are significantly associated with age and the presence of comorbidities, especially diabetes. People older than 84 years have a greater propensity for hip fractures, those between 50 and 65 years with diabetes are more prone to ankle fractures. Shoulder and wrist fractures are more common in individuals aged 66 to 83 years with few comorbidities.