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

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.