How bones weaken in different ways that lead to hip fractures
Heterogeneous pathways to bone strength decline and hip fracture
This project looks at how differences in bone size, mineral content, and bone area relate to hip fracture risk in older men and women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266228 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work focuses on how bones change with age in ways that standard bone density tests may miss. Researchers will group people by external bone size and track patterns of bone mineral content loss and increases in bone area to see which patterns link to hip fractures. The team will combine imaging and clinical data from living participants with strength measurements from cadaver samples to connect structural patterns to real fracture risk. The aim is to find measurable bone traits that explain fractures even when areal bone mineral density looks similar across people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults (men and women) concerned about hip fracture risk who have or can obtain bone imaging and share health records are the best fit.
Not a fit: Younger people, those whose fractures are due to major trauma, or people without available bone imaging or health records are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify people at higher hip fracture risk that standard bone density tests miss, enabling earlier or more targeted prevention.
How similar studies have performed: Prior cadaver and imaging work supports different strength declines by bone size, but applying these patterns to predict fractures in living populations is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jepsen, Karl J — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Jepsen, Karl J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.