Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.03.1983, Blaðsíða 58

The marital status of the patients are shown in table
1. Fortyfour percent were widowed, while 19 percent were
never married and 24 percent married.
The marked incidence increase of fractures of the proximal
femur found to prevail in Göteborg, Sweden, can be postula-
ted to be accompanied by a similar increase in osteoporosis.
We found that a previous gastric resection was more frequent
than expected among women. The patients used walking aids
frequently and a great ppoportion lived at institutions.
Only 20 percent of the patients were healthy before the frac-
ture occurred.
Muscle biopsy investigations have shown a muscle fiber hypo-
trophy among the patients with hip fractures compared to
healthy 70-80 year old individuals. The hypothrophy included
both type I and type II fibers. Neuropathy was also more
common among the fracture patients (Aniansson et al 1981).
Inactivity can thus be an important factor. This is supported
by finding of a lower mineral density in inactive persons in
higher ages compared to persons with regular physical acti-
vity, (Rundgren et al 1980).
Alcohol consumption and smoking are other factors which in-
fluence the bone mineral content and muscle function nega-
tively (Rundgren et al 1980). The smokers were however very
few among the 114 investigated patients.
It can be concluded the patients sustaining a hip fracture
most often is a previously ill widow , who uses a walking aid
and is rather inactive.
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