Osteoporosis and proximal femoral fractures in the female elderly of Jerusalem.

The incidence of proximal femoral fractures in women between the ages of 45 and 75 years was investigated in 735 women of whom 378 were of Western origin and 230 of Eastern origin; 127 women were excluded from this study either because they were Israeli or because their country of origin was unknown. In a general population study, the incidence of osteoporosis was 7.3% in the Western group and 16.7% in the Eastern group, whereas the incidence of proximal femoral fracture was 0.16% in the general population of the Western group and 0.13% in the population of the Eastern group. This finding does not confirm that the degree of osteoporosis is closely related to the incidence of proximal femoral fracture. Other factors may be closely related to the incidence of fractures.