Associations of muscle strength and functional power with longitudinal change in HR-pQCT bone parameters: the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study
Authors' conclusion
Associations between grip strength and changes in tibial bone geometry provide insight into potential mechanisms for bone loss and targets for musculoskeletal interventions to reduce fracture risk.
Study context
- Population
- Older men in the MrOS Study with HR-pQCT of the distal tibia and radius at visit 4 (2014–2016) and visit 5 (2020–2022); age 82.8 ± 3.0 yr; 89% White
- Participants
- 225 men
- Exposure
- Jump power and grip strength (normalized to body weight) vs annual % change in HR-pQCT bone parameters
- Outcome
- Annual percent change in volumetric BMD, microarchitecture and strength at the distal tibia and radius (HR-pQCT)
- Follow-up
- 6.2 ± 0.6 yr
Methodological detailslongitudinal, multivariable linear regression
- Longitudinal
- Multivariable linear regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Higher grip strength significantly associated with a smaller percent/year increase in total area at the distal tibia (DT) but not at the DR
- Neither jump power nor grip strength associated with change in failure load, BMD or trabecular thickness at either site
- Higher grip strength: P ≤ 0.05
- Adjusted for age, White race, clinic site, HR-pQCT initial values, % weight change, alcohol, medication count, chronic disease history, falls and hip pain
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline muscle function · visit 4
- Mean jump power
- 22.9 ± 5.6 W/kg
- Mean grip strength
- 0.49 ± 0.1 kg/kg
Change in bone parameters at the distal tibia (median [IQR], %) · during follow-up
- Failure load
- −0.88 [−1.71, −0.31]%
- Total BMD
- −0.57 [−1.12, −0.18]%
- Cortical BMD
- −1.24 [−2.03, −0.67]%
- Trabecular BMD
- −0.05 [−0.47, 0.20]%
- Trabecular thickness
- −0.37 [−0.64, −0.12]%
- Total area (increase)
- 0.04 [0.01, 0.08]%
- All p ≤ .05
Change in bone parameters at the distal radius (median [IQR], %) · during follow-up
- Failure load
- −1.02 [−2.19, −0.04]%
- Total BMD
- −0.64 [−1.20, −0.18]%
- Cortical BMD
- −1.38 [−2.15, −0.71]%
- Total area (increase)
- 0.07[−0.06, 0.16]%
- All p ≤ .05
Original publication
Associations of muscle strength and functional power with longitudinal change in HR-pQCT bone parameters: the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study. J Bone Miner Res. Published 18 December 2025. doi:10.
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