Marco Di Monaco

Prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with osteoporosis in 313 older women following a hip fracture

Changes in body composition, including a decrease in muscle and bone mass, accompany aging. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with osteoporosis in hip-fracture women. We performed a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan in 313 of 340 women, 20.9 ± 6.5 (mean ± S.D.) days after hip-fracture occurrence. To adjust appendicular lean mass for body size we divided it by height squared in each woman. A total of 180 of the 313 women (58%) were sarcopenic, whereas 230 (74%) were osteoporotic. After adjustment for age and interval between fracture and DXA scan we found a significant association between sarcopenia and osteoporosis (p=0.026). For a sarcopenic woman the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis was 1.80 (95%CI=1.07-3.02). Our data shows the high prevalence of sarcopenia and its significant association with osteoporosis in a large sample of hip-fracture women. Data supports a research approach on preventive and treatment strategies for osteoporosis and sarcopenia targeting both bone and muscle tissue. Furthermore, data should be considered when the economic burden of sarcopenia is estimated, given the high proportion of sarcopenic women with bone fragility.

The relationship between initial trunk control or postural balance and inpatient rehabilitation outcome after stroke: a prospective comparative study

Objective: To compare the predictive validity of trunk control in sitting position assessed by Trunk Impairment Scale and balance in lying, sitting and standing posture assessed by Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients on functional outcome in stroke survivors. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: A single rehabilitation hospital in Italy. Subjects: Sixty of 68 consecutive subjects admitted to a rehabilitation hospital after stroke. Main measures: We performed Trunk Impairment Scale and Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients at admission to inpatient rehabilitation. Outcome measures at discharge were Functional Independence Measure score and destination (classified as either home or institution). Results: After adjustment for 14 potential confounders, including Functional Independence Measure score at admission to rehabilitation, both Trunk Impairment Scale and Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients scores were significantly associated with the Functional Independence Measure score at discharge (P = 0.010 and P =0.04, respectively), change in the Functional Independence Measure score during rehabilitation (P = 0.003 and P<0.001, respectively), Functional Independence Measure effectiveness (P = 0.024 and P =0.017, respectively) and destination at discharge (P = 0.040 and P =0.032, respectively). The panel of prognostic variables predicted 64—65% of the variance in the final Functional Independence Measure score, 30—35% of the variance in the change of the Functional Independence Measure score during rehabilitation, and 45—46% of the variance in the Functional Independence Measure effectiveness depending on the inclusion of either Trunk Impairment Scale or Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients score among the predictors. Conclusions: Both trunk performance in sitting position and balance in lying sitting and standing posture after stroke predicted functional ability and destination at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Scores from the Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients may have a slightly better prognostic value than scores from the Trunk Impairment Scale.

Sarcopenia is more prevalent in men than in women after hip fracture: A cross-sectional study of 591 inpatients

Our aim was to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia in men and women with hip fracture. We studied 591 of 630 hip fracture inpatients consecutively admitted to our Rehabilitation ward. All the patients underwent a Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan 18.4 ± 8.7 (mean ± SD) days after hip fracture occurrence. Sarcopenia was defined when appendicular lean mass divided by height squared was less than two standard deviations below the mean of the young reference group obtained from population based studies. Using normative data from the New Mexico Elder Health Study, 340 of the 531 women (64.0%), and 57 of the 60 men (95.0%) had sarcopenia. Using normative data from the survey performed in Rochester, Minnesota, 116 of the 531 women (21.8%), and 52 of the 60 men (86.7%) had sarcopenia. After adjustment for age, time between fracture occurrence and DXA scan, number of medications in use, and number of concomitant diseases, men had a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia than women (p < 0.001). The adjusted odds ratio was either 10.54 (95% CI from 3.25 to 34.16) or 23.64 (from 10.8 to 51.6) depending on the reference population adopted. Our data shows a high proportion of sarcopenic subjects after hip-fracture. Sarcopenia was significantly more prevalent in men than in women. Relevancy of prevention and treatment of muscle loss is emphasized, particularly in men.

Severity of Unilateral Spatial Neglect Is an Independent Predictor of Functional Outcome After Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation in Individuals With Right Hemispheric Stroke

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between severity of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) and functional recovery in activities of daily living after a right-hemisphere stroke. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Rehabilitation hospital in Italy. PARTICIPANTS We investigated 107 of 131 inpatients with right-hemisphere stroke who were consecutively admitted to our rehabilitation hospital. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES To assess USN severity, conventional and nonconventional Behavioral Inattention Tests (BITs) were performed at admission to inpatient rehabilitation at a median of 19 days after stroke occurrence. FIM was performed both on admission to and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation to assess functional autonomy. FIM efficiency (improvement of FIM score per day of stay length) and FIM effectiveness (proportion of potential improvement achieved) were calculated. RESULTS Fifty-four (50.5%) of the 107 patients were affected by USN. In these 54 patients, both conventional and nonconventional BIT scores were significantly correlated with FIM scores assessed at discharge from rehabilitation: ρ values were .385 (P=.004) and .396 (P=.003), respectively. After adjustment for 7 potential confounders, including FIM scores before rehabilitation, we found a significant positive association between either conventional or nonconventional BIT scores and FIM scores after rehabilitation (r=.276, P=.047 and r=.296, P=.033, respectively), FIM efficiency (r=.315, P=.022 and r=.307, P=.025, respectively), and FIM effectiveness (r=.371, P=.006 and r=.306, P=.026, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Data support the independent prognostic role of USN severity assessed at admission to inpatient rehabilitation after a right-hemisphere stroke. Models aimed at predicting the functional outcome in stroke survivors may benefit from inclusion of USN severity.

Muscle mass and functional recovery in women with hip fracture.

Di Monaco M, Vallero F, Di Monaco R, Tappero R, Cavanna A: Muscle mass and functional recovery in women with hip fracture. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2006;85:209–215. Objective:To investigate the association between muscle mass and functional recovery in women with hip fracture. Design:A total of 200 of 230 women with hip fracture admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital were investigated in this survey study. Lean mass (LM) was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, 23.1 ± 7.9 (mean ± SD) days after fracture occurrence. Appendicular LM (aLM) was calculated as the sum of LM in arms and legs. Because metal implants (prostheses and nails) affect the regional assessment of body composition, aLM was corrected by substituting LM in the unfractured leg for LM in the fractured leg: corrected aLM = (LM in unfractured leg × 2) + LM in arms. We used two approaches to adjust corrected aLM for body size: corrected aLM divided by height squared (aLM/ht2), and corrected aLM adjusted for height and fat mass (residuals). Functional recovery was assessed by using Barthel index scores. Results:After adjustment for body size, corrected aLM was neither significantly correlated with Barthel index scores nor with the change in Barthel index scores after rehabilitation. Also, after stratification for quintiles of aLM/ht2 and residuals, no significant differences in functional recovery were found among the five groups. Conclusions:LM assessed after hip fracture is not associated with functional outcome in women.

Skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, and hip bone mineral density in elderly women with hip fracture

Soft tissue body composition strongly affects bone health. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between both skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and fat mass (FM) and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of elderly women with hip fracture. We assessed 293 of 325 hip fracture women admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital. Soft tissue body composition and BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), 23.2 ± 7.7 (mean ± SD) days after fracture occurrence. BMD was measured at four sites (neck, total femur, trochanter, intertrochanteric area) in the unfractured femur. Appendicular lean mass (aLM) was calculated as the sum of LM in arms and legs. We used two approaches to adjust aLM for body size: aLM divided by height squared (aLM/ht2), and aLM adjusted for height and FM (residuals). Both FM and aLM were significantly correlated with femoral BMD. However, the correlation coefficients for aLM were lower than for FM; they further decreased after adjustment for height squared, and were no longer significant after correction for both height and FM (residuals). When FM, aLM/ht2, age, and time spent between fracture occurrence and DXA assessment were included together as the independent variables in a regression model, FM was the only independent variable significantly associated with BMD. The coefficients of partial correlation ranged from 0.414 to 0.647 depending on the femoral region of BMD assessment (P < 0.001). FM, but not SMM emerged as a pivotal determinant of BMD in our sample of hip fracture women.

Functional recovery and length of stay after recurrent hip fracture.

Di Monaco M, Di Monaco R, Manca M, Cavanna A: Functional recovery and length of stay after recurrent hip fracture. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2002;81:86–89. ObjectiveTo evaluate the functional recovery and the rehabilitation length of stay after the sequential fracture of both hips in elderly patients. DesignA total of 372 in-patients with hip fractures consecutively admitted to our rehabilitation hospital were included in this retrospective study. A total of 333 out of 372 were admitted for rehabilitation of their first hip fracture, and the other 39 patients had a second contralateral fracture. The functional recovery was evaluated by the Barthel index. The comparison between the two groups was performed by unpaired t test. Stepwise linear multiple regression analysis was performed, including nine prognostic factors together with the number of hip fractures (first or recurrent) as independent variables and the Barthel index score on discharge as the dependent variable. The statistical analysis was repeated, substituting hospital length of stay for Barthel index. ResultsBoth the functional recovery and the length of stay of the patients affected by recurrent fracture were similar to the ones of the patients suffering from a single fracture. Regression analysis showed that the previous hip fracture was associated neither with the Barthel index nor with the length of stay. ConclusionsOur data suggest that the functional recovery in elderly patients with hip fractures is not significantly influenced by a previous fracture of the contralateral hip and that no significant prolonged rehabilitation length of stay is needed after the recurrent fracture.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and functional recovery after hip fracture in elderly patients

There is increasing interest in the effects of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on extraskeletal tissues, including the muscle. These effects may explain impairment in functional ability found in vitamin D-deficient subjects. Our aim was to investigate the roles of vitamin D and PTH in affecting the ability to perform activities of daily living after hip fracture. We studied 456 of 521 hip-fracture patients admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital. Functional outcome was assessed after acute inpatient rehabilitation by using the Barthel index score. The functional scores were significantly correlated with serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (ρ = 0.190; P < 0.001) and PTH (ρ = −0.164; P < 0.001) and the 25-hydroxyvitamin D/PTH ratio (ρ = 0.261; P < 0.001). At multiple regression, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and PTH levels were independently associated with Barthel index scores. The correlation between the 25-hydroxyvitamin D/PTH ratio and Barthel index scores was significantly stronger than the one between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and Barthel index scores (difference between the two correlation coefficients = 0.071; 95% CI = 0.009–0.133; P = 0.011). The significant association between the 25-hydroxyvitamin D/PTH ratio and the Barthel index scores persisted after adjustment for 12 prognostic factors (P = 0.012). On the whole, the panel of prognostic factors we studied predicted 50.1% of the variance of the functional score. Data shows that PTH and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were significantly associated with the ability to function after hip fracture and suggest that the two hormones act through independent mechanisms. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D/PTH ratio significantly contributed to a predictive model of functional outcome.

Primary hyperparathyroidism in elderly patients with hip fracture.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with low bone mineral density (BMD), but its association with fractures is controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of PHPT in hip fracture patients. We studied 444 of 450 consecutive elderly patients (404 women and 40 men) admitted to a rehabilitation hospital after hip fracture. All the fractures were either spontaneous or sustained as a result of minimal trauma. The diagnosis of PHPT was established when both serum calcium adjusted for serum albumin exceeded the normal range and PTH was either elevated or high normal. Also, 444 sex-matched subjects, aged 65 years and older, who were referred for their first osteodensitometry, were studied as controls. Among the hip fracture patients, 21/444 (i.e., 4.7%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PHPT. Logistic multiple regression showed no meaningful associations between PHPT and sex, age, weight, height, fracture type (cervical or trochanteric), and femoral BMD in the hip fracture patients. Among the 444 controls, 5 patients (i.e., 1.13%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of PHPT. When evaluated by Pearson’s chi-square, the difference in PHPT prevalence between the hip fracture patients and the controls was significant (P < 0.01). Data show that the prevalence of PHPT in a sample of elderly patients after hip fracture was increased when compared to that found in a sample of control subjects, suggesting that PHPT enhances hip fracture risk.

Functional recovery after concomitant fractures of both hip and upper limb in elderly people.

OBJECTIVE To investigate functional recovery after concomitant fractures of both hip and upper limb in elderly people. DESIGN Survey study. SETTING Rehabilitation hospital in Italy. PARTICIPANTS 586 consecutive in-patients with hip fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Functional recovery was evaluated by using Barthel index score. RESULTS 4.1% of patients (i.e. 24/586) suffered from a concomitant fracture of an upper limb, involving proximal humerus (n = 8) or distal radius (n = 16). After adjustment for 9 prognostic factors, a significant reduction in the Barthel index score on admission but not on discharge was found in the patients with an upper limb fracture. The length of stay was not significantly associated with the presence of the concomitant upper limb fracture. CONCLUSIONS In a sample of hip-fractured patients, neither the functional recovery at the end of a course of rehabilitation nor the length of stay were influenced by the presence of a concomitant fracture involving an upper limb.