title: Osteoporosis of the spine: correlation between vertebral deformity and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation of bone mineral density (BMD) or the age-matched z score and osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The radiographs and spinal bone mineral density of 131 consecutive postmenopausal patients were retrospectively reviewed. The vertebral fractures between T4 and L4 were graded. Sixty-two patients had no fractures, and 69 had 1 or more fractures. In the nonfracture group, the mean age was 62.6 years, BMD was 0.88 g/cm2, and the z score was -1.00. In the fracture group, the mean age was 69.6 years, BMD was 0.788 g/cm2, and the z score was -1.26. Patients with 2 and 3 or more fractures had a lower mean BMD than that of the nonfracture group (P < .01). The z score (adjusted for age) was significantly lower only in patients with 3+ fractures (P < .05). Patients with grade 2 and grade 3 of any fracture type had significantly lower BMD (P < .01). The z score was lower only in those with grade 3 fracture (P < .05). Our study indicates that the clinical use of BMD z score adjusted for age is a better predictor of severity of vertebral fractures than is BMD alone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadjipavlou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*