title: High prevalence of fragility vertebral fractures in patients hospitalised in Internal Medicine Units. Results of the POINT (Prevalence of Osteoporosis in INTernal medicine) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoporotic vertebral fractures (VFs) often go unrecognised in both healthy individuals and in pathological conditions. Few data exist on VFs in patients hospitalised in Internal Medicine Units (IMUs), who often suffer from multiple concomitant chronic disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This multicentre cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of VFs in an unselected population of patients referring to IMUs. Correlations between VFs and the main coexisting diseases were also investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on demographic, clinical and laboratory findings, and on the presence of known risk factors for osteoporosis was recorded. The Genant's semi-quantitative method was used to evaluate, in a central reading centre, the presence and severity of VFs in the thoracic and lumbar spine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cohort of 995 patients was evaluated. At least one VF of any grade was found in 47.5% of patients, with similar prevalence between females (48.1%) and males (46.7%). Older age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and previous diagnosis of osteoporosis showed a significant association with VFs in multivariable analysis. However, 79.7% of the VFs were observed in patients without previous diagnosis of osteoporosis. Moreover, a VF of grade 2 or greater was found in 20.8% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fragility VFs is a very frequent finding in patients hospitalised in IMUs. Consequently, more attention should be devoted in this clinical setting to this comorbidity, which is known to be an additional factor for mortality and, when localised in the thoracic part of the spine, may negatively influence a concomitant respiratory insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Hospital of Piombino, Livorno, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.affiliation: FADOI Foundation, Research Department, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gualberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gussoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Locomotor System, Division of Rheumatology, ASL3-Azienda Sanitaria Genovese, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gerolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Section of Osteoporosis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomical-Pathological Sciences, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlina V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.affiliation: Section of Osteoporosis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomical-Pathological Sciences, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diacinti
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology, "G. Pini" Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sinigaglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Ranuccio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nuti
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Hospital of Ceva, Cuneo, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo Lorenzo
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Muzzulini
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Hospital Pugliese-Ciaccio, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pintaudi
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "S. Anna", Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scanelli
authors.affiliation: QBGroup SpA, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magni
authors.affiliation: FADOI Foundation, Research Department, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: antonella.valerio@fadoi.org.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valerio
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Iori
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, "Civile" Hospital, Legnano, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital "Maggiore della Carità", Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campanini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Internal medicine; Osteoporosis; Vertebral fractures