BACKGROUND

Femoral neck fractures are a common occurrence in patients suffering from osteoporosis, while intracapsular hip fracture is rare in cases of osteoarthritis of the hip. Previous histomorphometric studies have emphasized the association between bone microarchitecture and the risk of low-impact fractures in osteoarthritis and osteoporosis patients. However, the strength of bone material is also a function of composition of organic bone matrix. In order to compare tissue material properties in these two clinical conditions, serum and bone pentosidine, a non-enzymatic collagen crosslinking element, was measured in patients who suffered a low-impact fracture, and in patients with advanced osteoarthritis.

METHODS

The patient population consisted of 70 patients who underwent hemiarthroplasty surgery for a femoral neck fracture, and 41 patients with advanced hip joint osteoarthritis without a history of low- impact fracture, who were indicated for total hip joint replacement. Pentosidine content was analyzed in bone samples and in serum obtained from fracture and osteoarthritis patients using high performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

Serum and bone concentrations of pentosidine were higher in subjects with hip fractures compared with osteoarthritis after adjustment for age, sex, weight, serum creatinine, and diabetes. A significant positive correlation was found between bone and serum pentosidine in fractured cases. A comparable relationship was also demonstrated for pentosidine levels in serum and bone relative to differentiation of fracture and osteoarthritis cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum pentosidine can be considered a potential biomarker for identification of subjects with impaired bone quality and bone strength.