Research indicates that fracture risks differ between genders, potentially linked to variations in body size, bone geometry, or density. This study investigates these factors in 18-year-old males and females, carefully matched for height and weight to ensure a Comparable Size comparison. The focus is to understand how bone characteristics vary despite similar body dimensions.
The study utilized DXA and pQCT to measure bone mineral content (BMC), bone area (BA), and bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites. Results revealed that despite having a comparable size, males exhibited significantly greater BMC and BMD at the hip and distal tibia compared to females. Specifically, tibial cortical thickness was also greater in males, suggesting a structural difference in bone composition. While lean mass differences partially explained these variations, males retained higher hip BMD even after adjusting for lean mass. Interestingly, vertebral BMC and BMD showed no significant gender differences, highlighting site-specific variations.
In conclusion, this research demonstrates that even with a comparable size, young males possess greater bone mass and density in critical fracture sites like the hip and tibia, attributed in part to increased cortical thickness. These skeletal differences may contribute to the observed lower fracture incidence in males, suggesting inherent gender-based variations in skeletal integrity beyond body size alone.
