Association between vertebral compression fractures and hand grip strength in geriatric patients

Objective: Limited research has investigated hand grip strength (HGS) as a diagnostic criterion for sarcopenia and vertebral compression fractures. This study investigated the correlations between HGS grade and vertebral compression fractures in elderly patients with other related factors. Methods: A total of 116 patients aged 65 years or older with vertebral compression fractures were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were assigned to either the high-HGS group (≥26 kg for men and ≥18 kg for women) or to the low-HGS group (<26 kg for men and <18 kg for women). Data are presented as descriptive statistics (mean±standard deviation). Age, body mass index, and bone mineral density (BMD) were analyzed by partial correlation, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of dependent variables. Comorbidities and other parameters were analyzed using the chi-square test and independent t-test. Results: HGS showed a significant positive correlation with BMD (r=0.381, P=0.01). The chi-square test revealed that 2 study groups—those with chronic kidney disease (P=0.031) and rheumatoid arthritis (P=0.024)—were significantly different. The independent t-test revealed that there were significant differences in the number of fractured bones and frequency of fractures between the 2 groups. Both variables showed higher values in the low-HGS group (P=0.021 and P=0.017, respectively). Conclusion: This study evaluated association between the HGS grade and vertebral compression fractures in geriatric patients with other related factors. Our results reveal that HGS is significantly associated with vertebral compression fractures.