Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) is highly correlated with 1-year mortality in hip fracture patients

Prevalence of cognitive impairment in hip fractures was 86.5%. MoCA is an independent risk factor of mortality. MoCA score of < 15 is correlated with 11.71 times increased risk of mortality. Early attention and caution should be given to these patients for appropriate intervention to decrease mortality rates.

INTRODUCTION

Hip fractures rank amongst the top 10 causes of disability and current mortality of hip fractures is high. Objectives were to determine 1) prevalence of cognitive impairment, 2) whether Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score was an independent risk factor associated with mortality, 3) MoCA cut-off that result in high risk of mortality.

METHODS

This was a cohort study between July 2019 to June 2020. Inclusion criteria were 1) hip fracture, 2) >  = 65 years old, and 3) low-energy trauma. Patients undergo assessment for cognitive impairment with MoCA. Prevalence was assessed, MoCA cut-off point, and accuracy of statistical model was evaluated. Logistic regression modelling was used to assess association between mortality and MoCA.

RESULTS

There were 260 patients recruited. Two hundred twenty-five patients had MoCA score < 22 signifying cognitive impairment, and 202 patients had MoCA score of < 19. 46 hip fracture patients died at 1-year follow-up. 45 of these patients had MoCA score < 19, and 1 patient had a MoCA > 22. Results showed statistical significance and good model effect (at least 0.8) with MoCA cut-off points between < 15 and < 19 (p < 0.05). After controlling confounding factors, statistical significance still existed in MoCA cut-off point at < 15 (odds ratio (95% CI) = 11.71 (1.14, 120.71); p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Prevalence of cognitive impairment in hip fractures was 86.5%. MoCA is an independent risk factor of mortality in hip fracture patients. MoCA score of < 15 is correlated with 11.71 times increased risk of mortality at 1-year after a hip fracture. AUC with MoCA score < 15 was 0.948. Early attention and caution should be given to these patients for appropriate intervention to decrease mortality rates.

The effectiveness of exercises on fall and fracture prevention amongst community elderlies: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To analyze the effectiveness of exercise interventions on falls and fall-related fracture prevention among community-dwelling elderlies.

Methods

Literature search was conducted in Pubmed and Embase. Keywords used for literature search were “fracture” AND “fall” AND “exercise”. Randomized controlled trials involving community-dwelling elderlies older than 60 years old with physical exercises as intervention were included. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. The primary outcomes were falls and fractures.

Results

Twelve studies were included and 4784 participants were involved with a mean age of 75.4. The most common exercise interventions were strength and balance exercises. The results of meta-analysis of 11 studies showed that exercise intervention had beneficial effect on fall prevention (RR = 0.71, 95% CI, 0.62–0.82; I² = 24%, p < 0.0001). The effect was better when exercise intervention applied to women participants (RR = 0.64, 95% CI, 0.49–0.83; I² = 28%, p = 0.00009) compared to men and women participants (RR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.64–0.89; I² = 24%, p = 0.001). The results of meta-analysis of seven studies showed that physical exercise had significant effect on fracture prevention (RR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.35–0.83; I² = 25%, p = 0.005). However, the effect was significant when exercise intervention applied to women participants only (RR = 0.37, 95% CI, 0.20–0.67; I² = 0%, p = 0.001) but not significant when exercise intervention applied to both genders (RR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.58–1.09; I² = 0%, p = 0.15).

Conclusion

Exercise interventions, especially the combination of strength and balance training, were effective in preventing falls. Resistance exercises and jumping exercises were effective for fracture prevention among community-dwelling older population. The effectiveness of exercise interventions on fracture prevention have more significant effect on women. Further studies are needed to test the effectiveness of exercise interventions in men.

Translational potential

The use of effective exercises or biophysical interventions including vibration therapy can be incorporated into Fracture Liaison Services to prevent future fall and fracture.

The relationship between sarcopenia and fragility fracture-a systematic review

Sarcopenia is a common geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive decrease of muscle mass and function leading to an increased risk of physical disability, poor quality of life, and mortality. Increasing evidence shows that sarcopenia is related with fragility fractures. This systematic review aimed to summarize the following: (1) the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with fragility fracture and (2) the associated risk factors for fragility fracture in patients with sarcopenia. Literature search was conducted in PubMed and Cochrane databases. Studies with the prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly patients with fragility fracture and associated risk factors in patients with sarcopenia were included. A total of 15 papers were included, with 10 reporting sarcopenia prevalence, and 5 on fracture risk in patients with sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia after fracture ranged from 12.4 to 95% in males and 18.3 to 64% in females. The prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly patients with fragility fracture was high, especially in men. Two studies showed that sarcopenia was a risk factor for fragility fracture when associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) but only in men. Caution should be taken for male patients with sarcopenia and low BMD, which is related to significantly increased risk of fractures. There is a pressing need for further research on sarcopenia and its risk on fragility fracture to better understand the relationship, pathophysiology, and mechanisms, which may shed light on potential interventions to improve clinical outcomes.

Mechanical stimulation enhanced estrogen receptor expression and callus formation in diaphyseal long bone fracture healing in ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic rats

Estrogen receptor (ER) in ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic fracture was reported to exhibit delayed expression. Mechanical stimulation enhanced ER-α expression in osteoporotic fracture callus at the tissue level. ER was also found to be required for the effectiveness of vibrational mechanical stimulation treatment in osteoporotic fracture healing.

INTRODUCTION

Estrogen receptor(ER) is involved in mechanical signal transduction in bone metabolism. Its expression was reported to be delayed in osteoporotic fracture healing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles played by ER during osteoporotic fracture healing enhanced with mechanical stimulation.

METHODS

Ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic SD rats that received closed femoral fractures were divided into five groups, (i) SHAM, (ii) SHAM-VT, (iii) OVX, (iv) OVX-VT, and (v) OVX-VT-ICI, where VT stands for whole-body vibration treatment and ICI for ER antagonization by ICI 182,780. Callus formation and gene expression were assessed at 2, 4, and 8 weeks postfracture. In vitro osteoblastic differentiation, mineralization, and ER-α expression were assessed.

RESULTS

The delayed ER expression was found to be enhanced by vibration treatment. Callus formation enhancement was shown by callus morphometry and micro-CT analysis. Enhancement effects by vibration were partially abolished when ER was modulated by ICI 182,780, in terms of callus formation capacity at 2-4 weeks and ER gene and protein expression at all time points. In vitro, ER expression in osteoblasts was not enhanced by VT treatment, but osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization were enhanced under estrogen-deprived condition. When osteoblastic cells were modulated by ICI 182,780, enhancement effects of VT were eliminated.

CONCLUSIONS

Vibration was able to enhance ER expression in ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic fracture healing. ER was essential in mechanical signal transduction and enhancement in callus formation effects during osteoporotic fracture healing enhanced by vibration. The enhancement of ER-α expression by mechanical stimulation was not likely to be related to the increased expression in osteoblastic cells but rather to the systemic enhancement in recruitment of ER-expressing progenitor cells through increased blood flow and neo-angiogenesis. This finding might explain the observed difference in mechanical sensitivity of osteoporotic fracture to mechanical stimulation.