Bone turnover markers as determinants of bone density and fracture in men with distal forearm fractures: the pathogenesis examined in the Mr F study

The pathogenesis for low-trauma wrist fractures in men is not fully understood. This study found that these men had evidence of significantly higher bone turnover compared with control subjects. Bone turnover markers were negative predictors of bone mineral density and were a predictor of fracture.

Men with distal forearm fractures have reduced bone density, an increased risk of osteoporosis and of further fractures. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not men with distal forearm fractures had evidence of altered bone turnover activity.

Fifty eight men with low-trauma distal forearm fracture and 58 age-matched healthy control subjects were recruited. All subjects underwent a DXA scan of the forearm, both hips, and lumbar spine, biochemical investigations, and health questionnaires. Measurements of beta crosslaps (βCTX), procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP), sclerostin, Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF 23) were made.

Men with fracture had significantly higher PINP than controls at 39.2 ng/ml (SD 19.5) versus 33.4 ng/ml (SD13.1) (p<0.001). They also had significantly higher βCTX at 0.45 ng/ml (SD 0.21) versus 0.37 ng/ml (SD 0.17) (p= 0.037). Fracture subjects had significantly lower aBMD and PINP was a negative predictor of aBMD at the total hip and βCTX a negative predictor of forearm aBMD. Sclerostin was a positive predictor of aBMD at the lumbar spine and hip sites. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) at 37nmol/L (SD 15.0) was lower in fracture cohort compared to 47.9 nmol/L (SD 19.2) (p=0.001) in control. Multiple regression revealed that the best model for prediction of fracture included SHBG, P1NP, and ultra-distal forearm aBMD. The likelihood of distal forearm fracture was decreased by 5.1% for each nmol/L increase in SHBH and by 1.4% for every mg/cm² increase in ultra-distal forearm aBMD, but increased by 6.1 % for every ng/ml increase in P1NP. Men in the highest quartile of PINP had a significantly greater likelihood of distal forearm fracture than those in the lowest quartile.

The fracture group had significantly higher PINP and βCTX compared with the control group, and these markers were negative predictors of aBMD at the total hip and forearm sites, respectively. Sclerostin was a positive predictor of the variance of spinal and hip aBMD. Likelihood of forearm fracture was best predicted by a combination of SHBG, PINP, and ultra-distal forearm aBMD. Findings of such cross-sectional data should be treated with caution, as longitudinal studies would be required to confirm or refute them.