Structural Indices of Stress Fracture Susceptibility in Female Military Recruits.
Abstract
A study was undertaken to examine stress fracture susceptibility in female US Marine Corps recruits, using anthropometry and bone structural measurements derived from dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans of The femur and lower leg. A total of 671 recruits received anthropometry and DEXA scans at the onset of training and were followed to ascertain stress fractures. A total of 36 recruits (5.2%) suffered stress fractures; 13 cases were in the foot, 10 each in the pelvic girdle and lower leg, and 9 in the femur. Fracture cases were pooled and compared with non-fracture cases. Results show that BMD, cross-sectional geometry, strength indices, and mean cortical thicknesses of the femur and tibia were significantly lower in cases than in controls, suggesting relatively weaker bone strength of the lower limbs of fracture cases, a result also seen earlier in males. In the male however, small body size predisposed to stress fracture, but in the generally smaller female, body size was unimportant. Moreover male stress fractures were predominantly below the knee (81%), while more than half (53%) of female cases were in the femur or pelvic girdle. When pelvic stress fractures were separately compared to controls, only pelvic and intertrochanteric breadths corrected for body weight, were significantly larger in cases. This suggests that a relatively wide pelvis is a risk factor for pelvic stress fracture and considering the narrow male pelvis may explain why pelvic stress fractures is a female phenomenon.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA332132
Entities
People
- Thomas J. Beck
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University