Bone Abstracts

Background: Current studies concerning the incidence of vertebral fractures are rare. Knowledge about age and sex dependency of these fractures could help focussing therapeutic decisions. Therefore, we performed a prospective study in order to find a reliable incidence of clinical vertebral fractures in an adult population.

Methods: Included were all patients with radiologic confirmed clinical vertebral fractures, which occurred in the adult population (age≥20 years) of Rostock, a city in the north eastern part of Germany (173.839 adult inhabitants). The time of observation was April 2014 until March 2015. All medical institutions of the city were involved. Clinical symptoms (backpain, trauma) were radiological adjudicated at the same time. Only fractures of the thoracic and the lumbar spine were analysed.

Results: A total number of 108,1/100.000 new vertebral fractures was found. Women (133,8/100.000) developed more fractures than men (80,8/100.000).

The mean age at the time of fracture was 73.4±13.0 years. On average, female patients were 6 years older than men (P<0.05).

In female patients aged 50–59 years the incidence was 17.9, one decade later 68.2 (P<0.05), the highest number was found in the age group 80–89 years: 712.7. Under the age of 59 years men had significant more fractures than women (P<0.05). [FIG 1]

Osteoporosis was known only in 48.9%. The most frequent causes of fractures were falls (50%). The same percentage of fractures occurred spontaneously without osteoporosis. [FIG 2]

Discussion: There is only one comparable prospective study in Europe (EPOS), whose incidences were nearly eight times as high as our results. EPOS observed a selected population of voluntary participants. A new fracture was defined by comparing radiography after periods of time.

In contrast to EPOS our study involved cases, which were confirmed as true clinical vertebral fractures and we observed the whole unselected adult population of Rostock.

Conclusion: Female gender and high age are associated with high fracture incidence. Falls are relevant risk factors. Focussing on these risk factors may improve treatment results.