| Objective To study the relationship between height shortening and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Methods Postmenopausal women were randomly selected for a health questionnaire, information collected including current height and height at young adulthood. Bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae and hip was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry bone densitometer, and participants were then divided into the osteoporosis group and the non-osteoporosis group. Statistical analyses were performed using statistical software SPSS 20.0. Results A total of 263 cases were screened, including 160 cases of osteoporosis and 103 cases of non-osteoporosis. There were significant differences between the two groups in age, height reduction (H/cm), and factors including BMI, knee arthritis and lumbar disc herniation (P < 0.05). Factors such as height, weight and age at menopause were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). In the correlation analysis, height reduction and knee arthritis negatively correlated with lumbar spine and hip BMD, whereas lumbar disc herniation negatively correlated with lumbar spine BMD, but was not significantly correlated with hip bone mineral density. With height reduction as the dependent variable, osteoporosis, arthritis, and lumbar disc herniation were significant predictors in the multiple linear regression analysis: y = 0.027 + 0.008 x osteoporosis + 0.009 x knee arthritis + 0.003 x lumbar disc herniation, and the standardized regression coefficients were 0.183, 0.171, 0.063, respectively. Osteoporosis had the greatest effect on height reduction, followed by knee arthritis. According to height reduction in the 263 cases, in those with height reduction > 3 cm, non-osteoporosis and osteoporosis accounted for 31.1% and 50.0%, respectively. The box plot showed the average height reduction from high to low was severe osteoporosis, mild osteoporosis and no osteoporosis. Conclusion After menopause, height reduction had negative correlation with bone density in woman, osteoporosis can affect height shortening, and the severe the osteoporosis the greater the height reduction. Shortening of height by 3 cm may indicate osteoporosis. |