There is considerable uncertainty about which factors best predict hip fractures in the elderly. We have previously shown that a global measure of body habitus, the body mass index (BMI), is an important predictor of hip fracture in this age group. BMI may serve as a surrogate measure of trochanteric soft tissue thickness. To determine a more local assessment of trochanteric soft tissue, we compared trochanteric soft tissue thickness by ultrasound to other local measures of trochanteric soft tissue thickness (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry [DXA] and hip circumference) and global measures of body habitus [body mass index (BMI), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), hip/waist circumference] in 50 healthy, community-dwelling women [72 +/- 4 years old (mean +/- SD)]. Ultrasound was highly correlated with DXA trochanteric soft tissue (r2 = 0.815, P < 0.0001), hip circumference (r2 = 0.810, P < 0.0001), BMI (r2 = 0.721, P < 0.0001), and BIA (r2 = 0.743, P < 0.0001). Trochanteric soft tissue thickness measured by DXA was also significantly (P < 0.0001) correlated with BMI and BIA. We conclude that local assessments of trochanteric soft tissue thickness, including DXA and hip circumference, provide an easy and noninvasive technique to assess trochanteric soft tissue thickness.