Thoracolumbar kyphosis is associated with compressive vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women

• Published in: Osteoporosis international 2017-06, Vol.28 (6), p.1925-1929
• Main Authors: Wei, Y., Tian, W., Zhang, G. L., Lv, Y. W., Cui, G. Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Body mass index; Compression; Computed tomography; Cross-Sectional Studies; Endocrinology; Female; Fractures; Fractures, Compression - diagnostic imaging; Fractures, Compression - etiology; Health risk assessment; Humans; Kyphosis; Kyphosis - complications; Kyphosis - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Lumbar Vertebrae - injuries; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Original Article; Orthopedics; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - complications; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - diagnostic imaging; Osteoporotic Fractures - diagnostic imaging; Osteoporotic Fractures - etiology; Post-menopause; Retrospective Studies; Rheumatology; Spinal Fractures - diagnostic imaging; Spinal Fractures - etiology; Thoracic Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Thoracic Vertebrae - injuries; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Vertebrae
• ISSN: 0937-941X; 1433-2965
• DOI: 10.1007/s00198-017-3971-x

Summary The main aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between vertebral compression fracture and thoracolumbar Cobb angles. Fracture prevalence was found to be significantly higher for patients with moderate [odds ratio (OR) = 4.78 (2.88–7.95)] or severe kyphosis [OR = 10.7 (5.11–22.40)] than for patients with mild kyphosis. The relationship between degree of thoracolumbar kyphosis and vertebral compression fracture was analyzed. Introduction The hypothesis that vertebral compression fracture in women is related to thoracolumbar kyphosis severity was tested, and a clinically important cutoff degree of sagittal thoracolumbar Cobb angle (TLCobb) was determined. Methods Demographic data, clinical data, and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) findings were compiled for 212 postmenopausal women with thoracolumbar fracture (study group) and 150 postmenopausal women with degenerative lumbar disease (control group). Group proportions and characteristics were compared with chi-squared tests and unpaired t tests, respectively. Results In this retrospective cross-sectional study cohort, 17 patients had T11 fractures, 79 had T12 fractures, 89 had L1 fractures, and 27 had L2 fractures. QCT findings and TLCobb differed between the study and control groups (both p  15° were associated with an increased fracture prevalence, with ORs of 4.78 (2.88–7.95) and 10.7 (5.11–22.40), respectively. Conclusion Vertebral fracture prevalence in postmenopausal women was found to be associated with thoracolumbar kyphosis. A TLCobb sagittal angle >15° should be considered an indicator for vertebral fracture assessment.