COMMUNITY-DWELLING FEMALE FALLERS HAVE LOWER MUSCLE DENSITY IN THEIR LOWER LEGS THAN NON-FALLERS: EVIDENCE FROM THE SASKATOON CANADIAN MULTICENTRE OSTEOPOROSIS STUDY (CAMOS) COHORT

Objectives: Our objectives were to determine whether peripheral quantitative computed tomography ( pQCT)-derived lower leg muscle density and area, and basic functional mobility differ between community-dwelling older women who do and do not report recent falls. Design: Matched case-control comparison. Setting: Academic biomedical imaging laboratory. Participants: 147 Women, 60 years or older ( mean age 74.3 y, SD 7.7) recruited from a longitudinal, population-based cohort representing community-dwelling residents in the area of Saskatoon, Canada. Measurements: A cross-sectional pQCT scan of the non-dominant lower leg was acquired to determine muscle density and area. Basic functional mobility ( Timed Up and Go Test [ TUG]) and SF36 health status were also measured. Fallers ( one or more falls) and non-fallers ( no falls) were grouped according to a 12-month retrospective survey and matched on measured covariates. Results: The muscle density of fallers ( n = 35) was a median of 2.1 mg/cm(3) lower ( P = 0.019, 95% C. I. -3.9 to -0.1) than non-fallers ( n = 78) after matching and adjusting for age, body mass index, and SF36 general health scores. Muscle area and TUG did not differ between fallers and non-fallers. Conclusions: Muscle density may serve as a physiological marker in the assessment of lower leg muscular health and fall risk in community-dwelling elderly women. These results are limited to our study population who were mostly Caucasian. Prospective studies are required for verification.