Decreased lower-extremity muscle performance is associated with decreased hip bone mineral density and increased estimated fracture risk in community-dwelling postmenopausal women

Summary The present study demonstrated that the lower-extremity muscle performance in Chinese community-dwelling postmenopausal women with lower bone mineral density (BMD) was positively associated with hip BMD and negatively associated with estimated fracture risk. Purpose Postmenopausal women are at high risk for osteoporotic fractures. It has been shown that decreased lower-extremity muscle performance is associated with osteoporotic fractures. However, the relationship between muscle performance and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women is inconsistent in the literature. The present study was to investigate the relationship between lower-extremity muscle performance and BMD or estimated fracture risk in community-dwelling postmenopausal women. Methods Two hundred forty-seven postmenopausal women aged 50–85 years were recruited in the study. The short physical performance battery (SPPB) tool including the chair stand test (CST), gait speed test (GST), and balance test (BT) was used to determine lower-extremity functioning and the CST, GST, BT, and SPPB total scores were recorded. The BMD of lumbar spine (LSBMD), femoral neck (FNBMD), and total hip (THBMD) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the vertebral fracture was confirmed by lateral spine X-rays radiographs. In addition, patients’ 10-year estimated major osteoporotic fracture risk (MOFR) and hip fracture risk (HFR) were assessed by the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX). Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the association between muscle performance and BMD. Results The CST, GST, and SPPB total scores were positively associated with LSBMD, THBMD, and FNBMD before adjustment for age, height, and weight. The SPPB total score was positively associated with FNBMD and THBMD, but not with LSBMD after adjustment for age, height, and weight. The BT score was positively associated with FNBMD and THBMD, but not with LSBMD before and after adjustment for age, height, and weight. Moreover, the CST, GST, BT, and SPPB scores were negatively associated with the FRAX score. Conclusion The lower-extremity muscle performance in community-dwelling postmenopausal women is positively associated with FNBMD and THBMD and negatively associated with the FRAX score.