Osteoporosis and the thalassemia "trait"
Orzincolo, C.; Castaldi, G.; Scutellari, P.N.; Vita, F.; Bagni, B.
La Radiologia Medica 85(1-2): 23-27
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0033-8362 PMID: 8480045 Document Number: 419654
The authors evaluated the prevalence of the thalassemia trait in a general population affected with femoral neck fractures. Our research was aimed at assessing whether hemoglobinopathy might affect osteoporosis, which is responsible for femoral fractures. Two hundred and thirty-eight patients admitted to St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, for proximal femoral fractures, were retrospectively studied. The patients were 68 males and 170 females, aged 58 to 83 years (mean age: 70.4 years). The thalassemia trait was seen in 11.76% of cases, versus in 7-8% of the general population. The high prevalence of heterozygous beta-thalassemic subjects probably means that the beta-thalassemia condition is a further "variable" which is responsible for the more frequent occurrence of fractures of the proximal femur and is certainly related to an osteopenic condition much more severe than usual.