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Determinants of stress fracture risk in United States Military Academy cadets

Cosman, Felicia ; Ruffing, Jamie ; Zion, Marsha ; Uhorchak, John ; Ralston, Stuart ; Tendy, Susan ; McGuigan, Fiona LU orcid ; Lindsay, Robert and Nieves, Jeri (2013) In Bone 55(2). p.359-366
Abstract
Background: Prior studies have identified some risk factors for stress fracture in athletes and military recruits. Objective: To determine whether historical factors, physical measures, biochemical variables of skeletal metabolism, genetic factors, bone density (BMD) and bone size could predict risk of stress fracture over 4 years in physically fit cadets at the US Military Academy (USMA). Methods: Baseline surveys, assessments of height, weight, scores on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and peripheral BMD were obtained in all cadets (755 men, 136 women), and central BMD in a subset. Blood samples were analyzed for variables of calcium homeostasis, bone turnover, and selected hormones and genetic factors. Stress fractures were adjudicated... (More)
Background: Prior studies have identified some risk factors for stress fracture in athletes and military recruits. Objective: To determine whether historical factors, physical measures, biochemical variables of skeletal metabolism, genetic factors, bone density (BMD) and bone size could predict risk of stress fracture over 4 years in physically fit cadets at the US Military Academy (USMA). Methods: Baseline surveys, assessments of height, weight, scores on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and peripheral BMD were obtained in all cadets (755 men, 136 women), and central BMD in a subset. Blood samples were analyzed for variables of calcium homeostasis, bone turnover, and selected hormones and genetic factors. Stress fractures were adjudicated by review of orthopedic notes and imaging reports. Results: 5.7% of male and 19.1% of female cadets had at least 1 stress fracture (58% metatarsal and 29% tibial), most within 3 months of entry to USMA. In males, risk of stress fracture was higher in those who exercised <7 h per week during the prior year (RR 2.31; CI 1.29,4.12), and in those with smaller tibial cortical area (RR 1.12; CI 1.03,1.23), lower tibial bone mineral content (RR 1.11; CI 1.03,1.20) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.35, CI 1.01, 1.81). In women, higher stress fracture risk was seen in those with shorter time since menarche (RR 1.44 per year; Cl 1.19, 1.73) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.16; Cl 1.01, 1.33.). Conclusion: Although prior physical training in men, length of prior estrogen exposure in women and leg bone dimensions in both genders played a role, the maximum variance explained by all of these factors was below 10%. We conclude these factors play a minor role in the development of stress fractures in physically fit USMA cadets. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Stress fractures, Insufficiency fractures, Military, Department of, Defense, Athlete
in
Bone
volume
55
issue
2
pages
359 - 366
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000320896600013
  • scopus:84878262820
  • pmid:23624291
ISSN
1873-2763
DOI
10.1016/j.bone.2013.04.011
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2aed2850-6f39-4abe-bd82-08164c24b0cc (old id 3980017)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:04:23
date last changed
2024-05-23 19:42:23
@article{2aed2850-6f39-4abe-bd82-08164c24b0cc,
  abstract     = {{Background: Prior studies have identified some risk factors for stress fracture in athletes and military recruits. Objective: To determine whether historical factors, physical measures, biochemical variables of skeletal metabolism, genetic factors, bone density (BMD) and bone size could predict risk of stress fracture over 4 years in physically fit cadets at the US Military Academy (USMA). Methods: Baseline surveys, assessments of height, weight, scores on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and peripheral BMD were obtained in all cadets (755 men, 136 women), and central BMD in a subset. Blood samples were analyzed for variables of calcium homeostasis, bone turnover, and selected hormones and genetic factors. Stress fractures were adjudicated by review of orthopedic notes and imaging reports. Results: 5.7% of male and 19.1% of female cadets had at least 1 stress fracture (58% metatarsal and 29% tibial), most within 3 months of entry to USMA. In males, risk of stress fracture was higher in those who exercised &lt;7 h per week during the prior year (RR 2.31; CI 1.29,4.12), and in those with smaller tibial cortical area (RR 1.12; CI 1.03,1.23), lower tibial bone mineral content (RR 1.11; CI 1.03,1.20) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.35, CI 1.01, 1.81). In women, higher stress fracture risk was seen in those with shorter time since menarche (RR 1.44 per year; Cl 1.19, 1.73) and smaller femoral neck diameter (RR 1.16; Cl 1.01, 1.33.). Conclusion: Although prior physical training in men, length of prior estrogen exposure in women and leg bone dimensions in both genders played a role, the maximum variance explained by all of these factors was below 10%. We conclude these factors play a minor role in the development of stress fractures in physically fit USMA cadets. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Cosman, Felicia and Ruffing, Jamie and Zion, Marsha and Uhorchak, John and Ralston, Stuart and Tendy, Susan and McGuigan, Fiona and Lindsay, Robert and Nieves, Jeri}},
  issn         = {{1873-2763}},
  keywords     = {{Stress fractures; Insufficiency fractures; Military; Department of; Defense; Athlete}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{359--366}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Bone}},
  title        = {{Determinants of stress fracture risk in United States Military Academy cadets}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3762761/4436196.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bone.2013.04.011}},
  volume       = {{55}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}