title: Vertebral fracture assessment: Enhancing the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis.
abstract: Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent condition, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, it is frequently untreated. Vertebral fractures often do not come to clinical attention, yet, their presence is diagnostic of osteoporosis, helps to predict the risk of future fractures, and may alter the choice of pharmacotherapy. The addition of lateral spine imaging technology to the densitometer, for vertebral fracture assessment (VFA), represented a major advancement in the ability to diagnose vertebral fractures and osteoporosis. VFA is an under-utilized and highly effective imaging tool to enhance osteoporosis detection and fracture prevention. Several factors make VFA an ideal technology to evaluate for vertebral fractures. These include: the ability to obtain the image at the same time the bone density is done, with significantly lower radiation exposure than with spine radiography, and at a lower cost. This review provides an overview of the clinical significance of identifying vertebral fractures, the origins of the VFA, its clinical indications, a review of the methods used to diagnose vertebral fracture, an overview on interpreting the VFA, and the strengths and limitations of this technique.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, United States. Electronic address: mzeytinoglu@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeytinoglu
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, United States.
authors.forename: Rajesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, United States.
authors.forename: Tamara J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vokes
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: DXA; VFA; Vertebral fracture assessment; Vertebral fractures