Yonsei Med J.  2013 Nov;54(6):1511-1515. 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.6.1511.

Is There Relationship between Brain Atrophy and Higher Incidence of Hip Fracture in Old Age?: A Preliminary Study

• Kim TH
• Suh SW
• Hwang JH
• Yoon TH

• KMID: 1798151
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2013.54.6.1511

Abstract

PURPOSE
The studies on the correlation between incidence of fall and brain atrophy have been going on to find out the cause of fall and its prevention. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between incidence of hip fracture and brain volume, measured by magnetic resonance image.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 14 subjects with similar conditions (age, height, weight, and past history) were selected for this study. Fracture group (FG) was consisted of 5 subjects with intertrochanteric fracture. Control group (CG) had 9 subjects without intertrochanteric fracture. MRI-based brain volumetry was done in FG and CG with imaging software (V-works, CyberMed Co., Korea). Total brain (tBV), absolute cerebellar volumes (aCV) and relative cerebellar volumes (rCV) were compared between two groups. Student t-test was used to statistically analyze the results.
RESULTS
In FG, average tBV, aCV and rCV were 1034.676+/-38.80, 108.648+/-76.80 and 10.50+/-0.72 cm3, respectively. In CG, average tBV, aCV and rCV were found to be 1106.459+/-89.15, 114.899+/-98.06 and 10.39+/-0.53 cm3, respectively, having no statistically significant difference (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
There was no significant difference between the fracture and control groups. Patients with neurologic disease such as cerebellar ataxia definitely have high incidence of fall that causes fractures and have brain changes as well. However, FG without neurologic disease did not have brain volume change. We consider that high risk of fall with hip fracture might decrease brain function which is not obvious to pickup on MRI.

Keyword

Hip fracture; brain atrophy; relationship for high incidence of fall

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Atrophy/*pathology
Brain/*pathology
Female
Hip Fractures/*pathology
Humans
Incidence
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Landmark-based separation of the cerebellar peduncles from the cerebellar white matter and the brainstem. On the mid-sagittal slice (slice 46/90 in this subject), perpendicular lines are drawn at a 90 degree angle to bi-commissural line at the AC and PC (arrows) and through the posterior border of the inferior colliculus (arrowhead). These lines are superimposed on all sagittal slices and the latter perpendicular line is used to differentiate the cerebellar peduncles from the brainstem. AC, anterior commissure; PC, posterior comminissure.

• 

  Fig. 2 3D model of the total brain (A) and the absolute cerebellum (B) using 3D medical software package for tBV, aCV, and rCV. tBV, total brain volume; aCV, absolute cerebellar volumes; rCV, relative cerebellar volumes.

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