Nutritional condition analysis of the older adult patients with femoral neck fracture

Background & aims: Many factors can contribute to the fracture of femoral neck, nutritional condition appears play a key role. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between nutritional condition and femoral neck fracture in an elderly population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among patients aged 55 years old or older, with or without femoral neck fracture. The study sample included 82 newly femoral neck fractured hospitalized patients as experimental group and 106 non-fracture out-patients as control group. Prealbumin, albumin and hemoglobin were evaluated in both femoral neck fracture group and control group. Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer (BIA) were used to analyze the body composition. Appendicular Lean Mass (aLM) and Fat Mass (FM) were analyzed in different age grade, Percentage of Body Fat (PBF) was analyzed according to Body Mass Index (BMI) level. Results: Eight-two (male 29, female 53) patients older than 55 years old with femoral neck fracture and 106 (male 43, female 63) orthopaedic out-patients were included in this study. Albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin in the femoral neck fracture group are significantly lower than the control group. According to the criteria for the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), the prevalence of sarcopenia in femoral neck fracture group is much higher than in the control group. As for the FM analysis, although the fat mass index in the control group is higher than that in femoral neck fracture group, we did not find any differences in terms of PBF analysis. Conclusions: Malnutrition contributes to the development of femoral neck fracture, according to the BIA analysis, aLM, rather than FM is a protection factor for the older people to get rid of femoral neck fracture. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.