Risk for hip fracture before and after total knee replacement in Sweden.

We studied the risk for hip fracture before and after total knee replacement (TKR) in the entire population in Sweden. Women and men had a low risk for hip fracture before TKR but an increased risk the first year after TKR. PURPOSE: It is known that osteoarthritis is associated with high bone mass. We therefore studied the risk of hip fracture before and after total knee replacement (TKR), risk of different hip fracture types, and risk subdivided in genders and age groups. METHODS: We followed the total Swedish population born between 1902 and 1952 (n = 4,258,934) during the period 1987-2002 and identified all patients with TKR due to primary OA (n = 39,291), and all patients with hip fracture (n = 195,860) in the Swedish National Inpatient Register. The risk time analyses were based on Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture the last year before TKR was 0.86 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.00) and the first year after 1.26 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.42) compared to individuals without TKR. The HR for femoral neck fracture 0-10 years after TKR was 0.95 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.01) and for trochanteric fracture was 1.13 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.21). The HR for hip fracture in the age group 50-74 was 1.28 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.43) and in the age group 75-90 years was 0.99 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.04) 0-10 years after TKR, compared to individuals without TKR. CONCLUSION: Individuals had a low risk for hip fracture before TKR but an increased risk the first year after TKR. The risk in individuals below age 75 years and for trochanteric fractures was increased after TKR. Possible explanations include changed knee kinematics after a TKR, physical activity level, fall risk, and other unknown factors.

Increased risk for hip fracture after death of a spouse-further support for bereavement frailty?

Death of a spouse is associated with poorer physical and mental health. We followed all married individuals, born from 1902 to 1942, during the period from 1987 to 2002, and found that widows and widowers had higher risk for hip fracture, compared with still married women and men. INTRODUCTION: Spousal bereavement can lead to poorer physical and mental health. We aimed to determine whether married women and men had an elevated risk of hip fracture after death of a spouse. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, we followed all Swedish married individuals aged 60 to 100 years (n = 1,783,035), from 1987 to 2002. Data are presented as mean with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 21,305 hip fractures among widows and 6538 hip fractures among widowers were noted. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in widows compared with married women was 1.34 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.37) and for widowers compared with married men 1.32 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.35). The HR for hip fracture in the first 6 months after death of a spouse was in widows compared with married women 1.62 (95% CI 1.53 to 1.71) and in widowers compared with married men 1.84 (95% CI 1.68 to 2.03). The elevated risk was especially prominent in young widowers in the age range 60-69 years. During the first 6 months they showed a HR of 2.76 (95% CI 1.66 to 4.58) for a hip fractvure compared with age matched married men. Widows aged 60-69 years showed a HR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.99) compared with age matched married women. CONCLUSION: Our observation of a higher hip fracture risk in both genders in connection with the death of a spouse indicates a possible effect of bereavement on frailty.

Increased risk of hip fracture among spouses-evidence of a homogamy effect.

Spouses tend to share habits and therefore have an increased risk of same diseases. We followed all married couples in Sweden, born 1902 to 1942, in hospital records from 1987 to 2002, and found that individuals whose spouse had a hip fracture had an increased risk of hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether spouses of hip fracture patients have an elevated risk of hip fracture. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all couples married for at least 5 years in Sweden and born between 1902 and 1942 (n = 904,451) and all patients registered with a hip fracture (n = 218,285) in the National Inpatients Register in Sweden from 1987 to 2002. RESULTS: During the period 1987 to 2002 hip fractures occurred among spouses in 4212 married couples. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in a married woman following hip fracture in the husband was 1.11 (95 % confidence interval 1.07 to 1.16) compared to a woman whose husband did not have hip fracture. The corresponding HR for a married man was 1.20 (1.15 to 1.26) compared to a man whose wife did not have hip fracture. The risk was significantly elevated over the age range 60 to 90 years. The increased risk for hip fracture among spouses remained after adjustments for income, education, geographical latitude and urbanisation. In a common model with spouses and their siblings, the HR for spousal effect were 1.63 (1.01 to 2.64) and for sibling effect 2.18 (1.55 to 3.06) compared to married with spouse and sibling respectively without hip fracture. CONCLUSION: The novel finding of an increased risk for hip fracture among spouses provides evidence indicating that there is a homogamy effect due to common social and lifestyle factors but could also be due to assortative mating.