Inferior physical performance test results of 10,998 men in the MrOS Study is associated with high fracture risk

Abstract

Background: most fractures are preceded by falls. Objective: the aim of this study was to determine whether tests of physical performance are associated with fractures. Subjects: a total of 10,998 men aged 65 years or above were recruited. Methods: questionnaires evaluated falls sustained 12 months before administration of the grip strength test, the timed stand test, the six-metre walk test and the twenty-centimetre narrow walk test. Means with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) are reported. P < 0.05 is a statistically significant difference. Results: fallers with a fracture performed worse than non-fallers on all tests (all P < 0.001). Fallers with a fracture performed worse than fallers with no fractures both on the right-hand-grip strength test and on the six-metre walk test (P < 0.001). A score below –2 standard deviations in the right-hand-grip strength test was associated with an odds ratio of 3.9 (95% CI: 2.1–7.4) for having had a fall with a fracture compared with having had no fall and with an odds ratio of 2.6 (95% CI: 1.3–5.2) for having had a fall with a fracture compared with having had a fall with no fracture. Conclusion: the right-hand-grip strength test and the six-metre walk test performed by old men help discriminate fallers with a fracture from both fallers with no fracture and non-fallers.