Prevalence of vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with lumbar osteopenia using MorphoXpress® (OSTEOXPRESS Study).
OBJECTIVE
Vertebral fracture (VF) is the most common complication of osteoporosis. However, more than half of all VF are asymptomatic and may go unnoticed, even in patients with osteoporosis. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of VF in postmenopausal women with osteopenic lumbar densitometry by means of vertebral morphometry, using the MorphoXpress® software.


METHODS
This was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted among 289 postmenopausal women (>1 year of amenorrhoea), diagnosed with lumbar osteopenia (not due to chronic treatment with corticosteroids or immobilization). Vertebral deformities ≥20% were considered as VF.


RESULTS
Demographic and clinical characteristics showed mean age (±SD) 64±9 years, body mass index 27±5 kg/m2, and time from diagnosis of 2±3 years. A total of 25% of subjects had a family history of osteoporotic fracture in first-degree relatives, and 23% had previous fragility fracture. The prevalence of VF was 50% (CI 95% 44-56), the most frequent being the dorsal wedge (34%). Previous fragility fracture was a risk factor for VF (OR 3.13, p=0.0004). A total of 76.5% of patients were receiving treatment, mainly calcium and vitamin D supplements (70%) and bisphosphonates (27%).


CONCLUSIONS
MorphoXpress® revealed that 50% of postmenopausal women with osteopenic lumbar densitometry showed VF. This result is important since only 7% of all evaluated subjects had previously been diagnosed with VF.
Arboleya
Luis
L
Rheumatology Department, Hospital San Agustín, C/Camino de Heros 4C, 33400 Avilés, Asturias, Spain. arboleya@ser.es
Díaz-Curiel
Manuel
M
Del Río
Luis
L
Blanch
Josep
J
Díez-Pérez
Adolfo
A
Guañabens
Nuria
N
Quesada
José Manuel
JM
Sosa
Manuel
M
Gómez
Carlos
C
Muñoz-Torres
Manuel
M
Ramírez
Esther
E
Combalia
Josep
J
D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence; D012984:Software; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology