title: The number and characteristics of prevalent vertebral fractures in elderly men are associated with low bone mass and osteoporosis.
abstract: We sought to determine whether specific characteristics of vertebral fractures in elderly men are associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis. Mister Osteoporosis Sweden is a population based cohort study involving 3014 men aged 69 to 81 years. Of these, 1427 had readable lateral radiographs of the thoracic and lumbar spine. Total body (TB) BMD (g/cm²) and total right hip (TH) BMD were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. The proportion of men with osteoporosis was calculated from TH BMD. There were 215 men (15.1%) with a vertebral fracture. Those with a fracture had lower TB BMD than those without (p < 0.001). Among men with a fracture, TB BMD was lower in those with more than three fractures (p = 0.02), those with biconcave fractures (p = 0.02) and those with vertebral body compression of > 42% (worst quartile) (p = 0.03). The mean odds ratio (OR) for having osteoporosis when having any type of vertebral fracture was 6.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9 to 9.5) compared with those without a fracture. A combination of more than three fractures and compression in the worst quartile had a mean OR of 114.2 (95% CI 6.7 to 1938.3) of having osteoporosis compared with those without a fracture. We recommend BMD studies to be undertaken in these subcohorts of elderly men with a vertebral fracture.
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kherad
authors.affiliation: Sahlgrenska Hospital, SE- 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mellström
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rosengren
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hasserius
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: J-Å
authors.initials: JÅ
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Redlund-Johnell
authors.affiliation: Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE- 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.affiliation: Sahlgrenska Hospital, SE- 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorentzon
authors.affiliation: Skåne University Hospital, SE-20502, Malmo, Sweden.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Karlsson
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: bone mineral density; elderly men; osteoporosis; population based cross sectional study; vertebra; vertebral fracture