The incidence and risk factors for adjacent vertebral fractures in community-dwelling people with prevalent vertebral fracture: the 3rd and 4th survey of the ROAD study

Abstract

The Summary In this 3-year follow-up study of 66 community-dwelling adults with severely deformed vertebral fractures, the annual incidence of adjacent vertebral fracture (AVF) was 6.1%/year. Lower bone mineral density at the femoral neck and spinopelvic malalignment were risk factors for AVF. Purpose This study aimed to clarify the incidence and risk factors of adjacent vertebral fractures (AVFs)-fractures adjacent to a prevalent vertebral fracture (VF)-using an established population-based cohort from the ROAD study. Methods Among the 1213 participants who underwent whole-spine radiography in ROAD's third (2012-2013, the baseline) and fourth surveys (2015-2016, the follow-up), 66 (12 men, 54 women) had at least one VF at the baseline. VF and AVF were determined radiographically using Genant's semi-quantitative (SQ) method, where VF was SQ >= 2 and AVF was a one-level cranial or caudal vertebra with an SQ grade one or more higher at the follow-up. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was applied, and anthropometric measurements and bone mineral density (BMD) measurements at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were performed. Sagittal imbalance of the spine was defined as a mismatch between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) of > 20 degrees. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for AVF. Results AVF occurred in 12 participants (1 man, 11 women). The annual incidence of AVF was estimated at 6.1%/year. Logistic regression analyses revealed that lower BMD at the femoral neck and PI-LL > 20 degrees were risk factors for AVF. Conclusions The annual incidence of AVF in a general population with prevalent VF was 6.1%/year. In addition, lower BMD at the femoral neck and PI-LL > 20 degrees were risk factors for AVF.