Spinal Osteoporosis Research Articles

Association of bone mineral density with nine urinary personal care and consumer product chemicals and metabolites: A national-representative, population-based study

Personal care and consumer products are extensively used and contain various chemicals that are recognized as endocrine disrupting chemicals. Few epidemiological studies measured the associations of these chemicals and metabolites, especially phenols, with bone health. We measured the associations between nine urinary phenol biomarkers and BMD and the subsequent prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis. National representative data from US adults aged over 20 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2010 were used. 2,267 men, 1,145 premenopausal women and 1,033 postmenopausal women were included in the final analyses. Bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, triclosan, butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, 2,5-dichlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Paraben concentrations, especially ethyl-, methyl- and propylparabens, were related to greater BMD in the femoral neck and intertrochanter and lumbar spine in men and premenopausal women. 2,4-dichlorophenol concentrations was associated with lower BMD and a higher prevalence of osteopenia + osteoporosis in men. Bisphenol A was associated with a higher prevalence of osteopenia + osteoporosis in the lumbar spine in postmenopausal women. Benzophenone-3 tended to be associated with a higher BMD of femur in men and premenopausal women. In conclusion, certain urinary personal care and consumer product chemicals and metabolites were significantly associated with BMD or osteopenia + osteoporosis. These results further indicate that, in future research, determination of the causal relationships and detection of undelying mechanism could be next important directions.

Anatomical Variations That Can Lead to Spine Surgery at The Wrong Level: Part II Thoracic Spine.

Spine surgery at the wrong level is a detrimental ordeal for both surgeon and patient, and it falls under the wrong-site surgery sentinel events reporting system. While there are several methods designed to limit the incidence of these events, they continue to occur and can result in significant morbidity for the patient and malpractice lawsuits for the surgeon. In thoracic spine, numerous risk factors influence the development of this misadventure. These include anatomical variations such as transitional vertebrae, rib variants, hemivertebra, and block/fused vertebrae as well as patient characteristics, such as tumors, infections, previous thoracic spine surgery, obesity, and osteoporosis. An extensive literature search of the PubMed database up to 2019 was completed on each of the anatomical entities and their influence on developing thoracic spine surgery at the wrong level, taking into consideration patient’s individual factors. A reliable protocol and effective techniques were described to prevent this error. In addition, the surgeon should collaborate with radiologists, particularly in challenging cases. A thorough understanding of the surgical anatomy and its variants coupled with patients characteristic is crucial for maximal patient benefit and avoidance of thoracic spine surgery at the wrong level.

Anatomical Variations That Can Lead to Spine Surgery at the Wrong Level: Part I, Cervical Spine.

Spine surgery at the wrong level is an adversity that many spine surgeons will encounter in their career, and it falls under the wrong-site surgery sentinel events reporting system. The cervical spine is the second most common location in the spine at which surgery is performed at the wrong level. Anatomical variations of the cervical spine are one of the most important incriminating risk factors. These anomalies include craniocervical junction abnormalities, cervical ribs, hemivertebrae, and block/fused vertebrae. In addition, patient characteristics, such as tumors, infection, previous cervical spine surgery, obesity, and osteoporosis, play an important role in the development of cervical surgery at the wrong level. These were described, and several effective techniques to prevent this error were provided. A thorough review of the English-language literature was performed in the database PubMed between 1981 and 2019 to review and summarize these risk factors. Compulsive attention to these factors is essential to ensure patient safety. Therefore, the surgeon must carefully review the patient’s anatomy and characteristics through imaging and collaborate with radiologists to reduce the likelihood of performing cervical spine surgery at the wrong level.

Associations of Gut Microbiota with Osteoporosis in Elderly Chinese: A Cohort Study

Abstract Objectives The objective was to characterize the gut microbiome in cross-sectional and prospective connection to the development of osteoporosis. Methods The study was embedded in the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS). Data with 1776 participants for the cross-sectional study was from the second follow-up, 517 participants of whom during the third follow-up (a mean of 3.2 years after the second follow-up) were included in the longitudinal study. Gut microbiota was determined using 16S amplicon sequencing during the second follow-up, while the examination of osteoporosis was performed using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry during the second and third follow-up. We used LDA Effect Size to investigate the cross-sectional association of gut microbiota with osteoporosis and we constructed microbe scores with identified microbe biomarkers and integrated their main functional modules associated with osteoporosis with multiple linear regression. We then examined the association of microbe scores with change in the degree of osteoporosis using logistic regression. Results β-diversity of gut microbiota was associated with osteoporosis. Lumbar spine osteoporosis was associated with 2 genus, while femoral neck osteoporosis was associated with 10 genus. The microbe scores showed cross-sectional positive associations with osteoporosis and the microbe score-osteoporosis associations with same direction were showed in the longitudinal study. The microbiomes of participants with lumbar spine osteoporosis contained more genes that were related to peptidases, while femoral neck osteoporosis was positively associated with transcription machinery. Conclusions These analyses provide the largest and detailed cross-sectional and longitudinal composition and functional profile of the gut microbiome in osteoporosis. Funding Sources National Natural Science Foundation of China, Westlake University and Sun Yat-sen University.

SAT-349 Cinacalcet Resistant Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism with One Large Parathyroid Gland

Tertiary hyperparathyroidism is thought to develop after long term secondary hyperparathyroidism, such as CKD on dialysis. In This case, all parathyroid glands are significantly enlarged.We report a case of an 84-year-old female with a past medical history of ESRD on HD and recurrent nephrolithiasis who was found to have an enlarged multinodular goiter with the dominant mass in the lower pole of the right gland measuring about 4.7 cm on thyroid ultrasound. Blood work was done which showed elevated intact PTH levels at 2720 pg/mL (12–88). Her calcium level was normal at that time at 10.5 mg/dL (8.6–10.8) with an albumin of 4.2 g/dL (3.5–5.7), and a phosphorus of 5.7 mg/dL (2.5–4.5). Patient had a DEXA scan which showed severe osteoporosis in the lumbar spine, left hip, and right forearm. Patient had increased PTH levels despite being on Cinacalcet. She had a nuclear medicine parathyroid scan with SPECT CT which showed increased uptake along the right inferior thyroid concerning for a large right lower parathyroid adenoma or functional thyroid nodule. FNA of the nodule was done and showed colloid nodule but PTH wash showed elevated PTH at 7634 pg/mL. She was referred for right lower parathyroidectomy and Cinacalcet was discontinued prior to surgery. She had right and left inferior parathyroidectomy and 4 gland exploration. Pathology showed the right inferior parathyroid gland to be markedly hyper-cellular, weighing 36 grams consistent with hyperplasia and the left inferior parathyroid gland to be slightly hyper-cellular parathyroid gland consistent with hyperplasia. No evidence of malignancy was noted on pathology. Prior to surgery her calcium level of 10.6 mg/dL which went down to 9.6 mg/dL post-operatively. Patient then developed severe hypocalcemia and hungry bone syndrome following the surgery requiring a calcium drip for 3 days post-operatively. Was changed to oral calcium but required large amounts of calcium gluconate and calcitriol supplementation and an extended hospital stay of 13 days. However, throughout the hospital stay, PTH levels continued trending back up to 239 which may represent either increased activity from remaining parathyroid glands or residual parathyroid adenoma with incomplete resection. Post-operative US neck showed Post-surgical collection in the lower pole of the right gland measuring 4.8 cm compatible with recent resection.In conclusion, tertiary hyperparathyroidism can develop due to one enlarged parathyroid gland or an adenoma, which can be resistant to cinacalcet.

Chronic Pain Increases the Risk for Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Asia.

Chronic pain (CP) may increase the risk for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs); however, this issue is still unclear in the Asian population. We conducted this study to delineate it. From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 17,614participants (<65 years) with CP and matched them by age and sex at a 1:2 ratio toparticipants without CP, who made up the comparison cohort. Several causes of CP and its underlying comorbidities were also analyzed. A comparison of MACCE occurring in the two cohorts was performed via follow-up until 2015. The mean age (SD) was 50.2 (11.5) years and 50.4 (11.7) years inparticipants with and without CP, respectively. In both cohorts, the percentage of femaleparticipants was 55.5%. Common causes of CP were spinal disorders (23.9%), osteoarthritis (12.4%), headaches (11.0%), gout (10.2%), malignancy (6.2%), and osteoporosis (4.5%). After adjusting for hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal diseases, hyperlipidemia, liver diseases, dementia, and depression, participants with CP had a higher risk for MACCE than those without CP (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3 - 1.4). After conducting subgroup analyses, an increased risk was also found for all-cause mortality (AHR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1 - 1.8), acute myocardial infarction (AHR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0 - 1.4), and stroke (AHR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.3 - 1.4). CP is associated with increased occurrence of MACCE. Early detection and interventions for CP are suggested.

Novel Insights into the Pathogenesis of Spinal Sarcopenia and Related Therapeutic Approaches: A Narrative Review.

Spinal sarcopenia is a complex and multifactorial disorder associated with a loss of strength, increased frailty, and increased risks of fractures and falls. In addition, spinal sarcopenia has been associated with lumbar spine disorders and osteoporosis, which renders making decisions on treatment modalities difficult. Patients with spinal sarcopenia typically exhibit lower cumulative survival, a higher risk of in-hospital complications, prolonged hospital stays, higher postoperative costs, and higher rates of blood transfusion after thoracolumbar spine surgery. Several studies have focused on the relationships between spinal sarcopenia, appendicular muscle mass, and bone-related problems—such as osteoporotic fractures and low bone mineral density—and malnutrition and vitamin D deficiency. Although several techniques are available for measuring sarcopenia, each of them has its advantages and shortcomings. For treating spinal sarcopenia, nutrition, physical therapy, and medication have been proven to be effective; regenerative therapeutic options seem to be promising owing to their repair and regeneration potential. Therefore, in this narrative review, we summarize the characteristics, detection methodologies, and treatment options for spinal sarcopenia, as well as its role in spinal disorders.

Effects of glucocorticoids on osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We evaluated the effects of glucocorticoids on bone mineral density (BMD), and prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by meta-analysis. Until June 26, 2019, we conducted a systematic literature search in EMBASE, Web of science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library to obtain BMD and the prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture in glucocorticoid-treated subjects with RA. The BMD of the treatment and control groups were analyzed by meta-analysis (Stata. version 15), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. We identified 15 observational studies, including 46,711 RA subjects and 857 healthy controls. The BMD of the lumbar spine (- 0.038g/cm2; CI, - 0.052, - 0.024) and femoral neck (- 0.017g/cm2; - 0.030, - 0.003) in RA treated with glucocorticoids were significantly lower than those in RA controls. Compared with healthy control group, the BMD of the lumbar spine (- 0.094g/cm2; - 0.126, - 0.061) and femoral neck (- 0.097g/cm2, - 0.109, - 0.085) of RA treated with glucocorticoids decreased more significantly. The prevalence of osteoporosis in whole body, spine, and femur was 38.6% (0.305, 0.466), 32.9% (0.277, 0.381), and 21.7% (0.106, 0.328), respectively. And the prevalence of vertebral fracture was 13.0% (0.058, 0.203). Glucocorticoids may lead to a decline in skeletal health in subjects with RA, especially in vertebral and femoral BMD, compared with normal people or RA without glucocorticoid therapy. Meanwhile, osteoporosis and fractures were also common. Therapeutic measures should be targeted at individuals, which needs further study. Through meta-analysis, we found that glucocorticoids have some negative effects on the bone health of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, when using glucocorticoids to treat rheumatoid arthritis, we should take strategic measures to prevent the decline of bone quality.

Bone Mineral Density in Relation to Chronic Kidney Disease After Heart Transplantation: A Retrospective Single-center Study at Skåne University Hospital in Lund 1988-2016.

Background.Our aim was to investigate the bone mineral density (BMD) evolution and incidence of osteoporosis in relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to 10 years after heart transplantation (HT).Methods.A retrospective analysis was performed on 159 HT patients at Skåne University Hospital in Lund 1988–2016.Results.The median follow-up time was 6.1 years (interquartile range = 7.5 y). HT patients with CKD stage <3 or normal kidney function before HT exhibited a greater mean BMD loss in the lumbar spine, compared to patients with CKD stage ≥3 before HT, at the first (−6.6% versus −2.5%, P = 0.029), second (−3.7% versus 2.1%, P = 0.018), and third (−2.0% versus 4.1%, P = 0.047) postoperative years, respectively. All included HT patients exhibited a BMD loss in the femoral neck at the first postoperative year (−8.8% [−10.3 to −7.3] in patients with CKD stage <3 or normal kidney function and −9.3% [−13.2 to −5.5] in patients with CKD stage ≥3 before HT), which was not fully reversed up to 10 years after HT. In adjusted models, CKD stage <3 before HT did not predict osteopenia and osteoporosis in the lumbar spine or femoral neck.Conclusions.CKD before HT did not predict BMD loss or osteoporosis development after HT. The study is, however, limited by a lack of data on fractures, and further studies on the relationship between CKD and postoperative bone strength are encouraged.

Nedostaci standardnog radiograma pri obradi ozljede vratne kralježnice u visokorizičnih pacijenata – prikazi slučajeva

Cilj: Istaknuti nedostatke standardnog radiograma pri obradi ozljede vratne kralježnice, posebice u visokorizičnih pacijenata u kojih je zbog patoanatomskih promjena ova dijagnostička pretraga otežana (ankilozantni spondilitis, stenoza spinalnog kanala i osteoporoza). Prikaz slučaja: Prikazali smo obradu ozljede vratne kralježnice u dva visokorizična pacijenta (osteoporotičnog te pacijenta s ankilozantnim spondilitisom). Prijelomi vratne kralježnice češći su u te dvije skupine i mogu nastati blažim padom. Mehanizam ozljede je u oba slučaja bio pad sa svoje visine. Inicijalni neurološki pregled kod oba pacijenta bio je uredan, tek je odgođeni pregled ukazao na neurološki deficit: u prvom slučaju nekoliko sati nakon ozljede, a u drugom slučaju devet dana nakon ozljede. U oba slučaja ozljeda vratne kralježnice bila je dijagnosticirana naknadno učinjenim MSCT-om vratne kralježnice. Zaključak: S obzirom na potencijalno opasne posljedice neprepoznate i neliječene ozljede vratne kralježnice, htjeli smo naglasiti potrebu za daljnjim istraživanjem i kreiranjem adekvatnog algoritma za visokorizične pacijente. Zbog svoje visoke specifičnosti i senzitivnosti, MSCT bi trebao biti metoda izbora pri dijagnosticiranju ozlijede vratne kralježnice u toj grupi pacijenata.

Salivary Content Might be Associated With Skeletal Status in Postmenopausal Women: SilesiaOsteoActive Study Results

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate whether salivary mineral content may be associated with bone status in women after menopause. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 125 postmenopausal women aged 64.3 ± 6.9 yr, derived from the epidemiological SilesiaOsteoActive Study. All participants underwent hip and spine bone densitometry using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, dental examination, and saliva content analysis. Data for salivary pH, copper, calcium, phosphorus, and zinc concentrations were evaluated. Results: Mean femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) was 0.739 ± 0.118 g/cm2, total hip BMD 0.891 ± 0.14 g/cm2, and spine BMD 0.868 ± 0.14 g/cm2. Salivary pH was significantly lower in women with spinal osteoporosis defined as T-score below −2.5, compared to individuals with normal BMD (pH: 6.65 ± 0.67 vs 6.96 ± 0.58, p < 0.05). There was a significant though weak inverse correlation between Ca concentration in saliva and femoral neck BMD (r = −0.23, p < 0.05). Conclusions: High salivary calcium content and low salivary pH may be indicative of low hip and decreased spine BMD, respectively. These associations may reflect demineralization process (calcium redistribution) influencing bone, and a negative effect of acidity on mineral tissues, although causal pathway remains not clear.

Low muscle mass is associated with osteoporosis: A nationwide population-based study

ObjectivesTo assess the association between low muscle mass and osteoporosis in the Korean general population. MethodsWe analyzed 14,429 participants (6,261 men and 8,168 women) from the 2009–2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) aged 20 years or more. Main outcome measureThe association of low muscle mass with osteoporosis was investigated using multivariate logistic regression models that included age, marital status, residence, current smoking, monthly drinking, physical activities, strength exercise, comorbidity, and the use of dietary supplements, and in women postmenopausal status and experience of pregnancy. ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, low muscle mass was significantly associated with osteoporosis in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in both men (lumbar spine: OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.08–2.76; femoral neck: OR 3.39, 95 % CI 1.69–6.80) and women (lumbar spine: OR 1.52, 95 % CI 1.17–1.97; femoral neck: OR 2.09, 95 % CI 1.56–2.80). Also, the association between low muscle mass and osteoporosis was significant in men and women in every age group except for men aged 50–64 years. ConclusionLow muscle mass was significantly associated with osteoporosis in both men and women for all age groups, except for men aged 50–64 years.

Important gene-gene interaction of TNF-α and VDR on osteoporosis in community-dwelling elders.

Gene effects on osteoporosis have been studied separately and may have been masked by gene–gene and gene–environment interactions. We evaluated gene–gene and gene–physical activity interactions of the variants of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) genes on osteoporosis. A total of 472 elders were included. Seven variants (TNF-α: rs1799964, rs1800629, rs3093662; VDR: rs7975232, rs1544410, rs2239185, rs3782905) were genotyped. Bone mineral densities of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Predictive models’ ability to discriminate osteoporosis status was evaluated by areas under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve. After multivariable adjustment, significant interactions of TNF-α rs1800629 and VDR rs3782905 were observed on overall and lumbar spine osteoporosis. In elderly women, we found that those carrying the CG/CC genotype of VDR rs3782905 were significantly associated with increased odds of overall osteoporosis compared with those carrying the GG genotype of VDR rs3782905 among those carrying TNF-α rs1800629 GG genotype. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for VDR rs3782905 CG/CC genotype in elderly women carrying TNF-α rs1800629 AG/AA and GG genotypes were 0.1 (0.01, 0.98) and 3.54 (1.51, 8.30), respectively. We observed significant differences in AUROCs between the model with traditional covariates plus variants and their interaction term and the model with traditional covariates only (AUROCs: 0.77 and 0.81; p = 0.028). Although the sample size of this study may have been relatively small, our results suggest that the interaction of the CG/CC genotype of VDR rs3782905 with TNF-α rs1800629 GG genotype was associated with increased odds of overall and lumbar spine osteoporosis in elderly women.

Carotid plaque and lumbar bone mineral density status in post-menopausal women: An age-matched, analytical cross-sectional study.

Objective To explore the association between carotid plaque and lumbar spine osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Study design Age-matched, cross-sectional study. Main outcome measures Carotid plaque and carotid intima media thickness were measured with B-mode ultrasound. Lumbar spine bone mineral density was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Prevalence odds ratios and the respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated to determine the association. Results Seventy-two post-menopausal women with lumbar spine osteoporosis and 72 post-menopausal women with normal lumbar spine bone mineral density were enrolled. The adjusted prevalence odds ratio of carotid plaque presence in post-menopausal women with lumbar spine osteoporosis was 1.73 (95%CI; 0.60 to 4.94) when compared to post-menopausal women with normal lumbar spine bone mineral density. The presence of vulnerable plaque was greater in post-menopausal women with lumbar spine osteoporosis; however, the difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for other risk factors of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio 1.31; 95%CI; 0.39 to 4.43). There was no significant difference in carotid intima media thickness between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis with backward elimination in assessment of potential risk factors for the presence of carotid plaque showed that the year since menopause, family history of cardiovascular disease and systolic blood pressure were nominally significant associated factors with a respective adjusted odds ratio of 1.06 (95%CI; 1.01 to 1.12), 6.23 (95%CI; 1.65 to 23.46) and 1.03 (95%CI; 1.01 to 1.06). Conclusions The current study indicates that lumbar spine osteoporosis is not associated with the presence of carotid plaque, whereas year since menopause, family history of cardiovascular disease and systolic blood pressure are associated factors.

Back pain and spinal osteoporosis in clinical practice

Back pain is a common clinical and socioeconomic problem. Back pain is a symptom, not a nosological form. Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease in which, despite normal bone mineralization, bone loss and bone (structure) integrity is observed. The article considers the main causes of primary and secondary osteoporosis. The main modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures are presented. The main pathological conditions and diseases associated with the risk of osteoporosis are described. The problem of osteoporosis of the spine as one of the causes of mechanical painful episodes in the back of elderly patients is considered in depth. Clinical features of compression vertebral fractures in osteoporosis in women after menopause are presented. The methods of conservative treatment of osteoporosis are considered. The greatest attention is paid to such effective antiosteoporotic drugs as bisphosphonates. The data on the efficacy and tolerability of alendronic acid preparations as the most studied preparation from the group of bisphosphonates are analyzed. The information on the new medicinal form of alendronic acid – sparkling soluble tablets (Binosto) is presented.

Global and site-specific analysis of bone in a rat model of spinal cord injury-induced osteoporosis

Micro-Computed Tomography bone analysis is the gold standard method for assessing trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture in small animal bones. This technique reports morphometric parameters as averages over selected volumes of interest (VOIs). This study proposes the introduction of an additional global 2D morphometric step into the analysis process, that provides a survey of the underlying morphometric variation present throughout both trabecular and cortical bone. The visualisation of these morphometric distributions provides a systematic approach to VOI selection that provides rationale and adds confidence to subsequent 3D morphometric analysis. To test the applicability and value of this methodological addition it was applied to the distal femur of a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced osteoporosis. The 2D morphometric variation of both trabecular and cortical bone was quantified as a function of bone length. SCI-induced osteoporosis was localised in i) trabecular bone, where metaphyseal bone was more severely affected than epiphyseal bone, and there was a significant reduction in Distal Femoral Trabecular Extent, a new parameter defined here that quantifies how far trabecular bone penetrates in to the marrow cavity, ii) cortical bone, where diaphyseal bone underwent significant lowering of both cortical area and thickness, while distal-metaphyseal bone did not. Theses site-specific changes were validated, further elucidated and compared with follow-up conventional 3D analysis. The techniques applied here are equally applicable to other long bones (tibia, humerus, radius, ulna), other types of imaging modality and other types of experimental design including the effects of rehabilitation, aging, loading, gene knockout and pharmacological intervention.

Role of lumbar spine signal intensity measurement by MRI in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women

BackgroundOsteoporosis is a worldwide health problem and a common cause of bone fractures; the most common type of osteoporosis is post-menopausal type. MRI has a role in the diagnosis of osteoporosis and can be used as a screening tool, so the purpose of our study was to define a quantitative MRI-based score (M-score) for the detection of lumbar spine osteoporosis and to evaluate the correlation between lumbar spine signal intensity measured by MRI and BMD (bone mineral density) in post-menopausal women. Our case-control study involved 100 cases (50 old post-menopausal females as a case group and 50 healthy females as a control group of matched age). Both groups were subjected to history taking, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and conventional lumbar MRI. DEXA was performed for the lumbar spine and all scores (T-score, Z-score, BMD) were calculated. Lumbar MRI was performed (sagittal T1WI and T2WI) from L1–L4 levels. SNRL1–L4 and M-score were calculated from T1W images.ResultsAll DEXA scores were significantly lower in post-menopausal females compared to the control group (P < 0.0001). Meanwhile, SNRL1–L4 and M-score were significantly higher among cases than controls (P < 0.0001). The diagnostic threshold of SNRL1–L4 and M-score for distinguishing osteoporotic from non-osteoporotic females was 104.5 for SNRL1–L4 with a sensitivity of 94%, specificity 60%, positive predictive values (PPV) 31%, and negative predictive values (NPV) 98%, and 3.5 for M-score with a sensitivity of 93.3%, specificity 83.5%, PPV 50%, and NPV 98.6%. SNRL1–L4 was negatively correlated with M-score (r = − 0.74, P < 0.0001), T-score (r = − 0.42, P < 0.0001), Z-score (r = − 0.32, P < 0.0001), and BMD (r = − 0.31, P < 0.0001). M-score was negatively correlated with T-score (r = − 0.48, P < 0.0001), Z-score (r = − 0.36, P < 0.0001), and BMD (r = − 0.37, P < 0.0001). M-score moderately agreed with T-score (κ = 0.5, P < 0.0001).ConclusionThe MRI-based score (M-score) of the lumbar spine is an accurate quantitative method for distinguishing osteoporotic from non-osteoporotic females. M-score and SNRL1–L4 are significantly correlated with osteoporotic indices (T-score and BMD).

Machine Learning Model to Predict Osteoporotic Spine with Hounsfield Units on Lumbar Computed Tomography.

ObjectiveBone mineral density (BMD) is an important consideration during fusion surgery. Although dual X-ray absorptiometry is considered as the gold standard for assessing BMD, quantitative computed tomography (QCT) provides more accurate data in spine osteoporosis. However, QCT has the disadvantage of additional radiation hazard and cost. The present study was to demonstrate the utility of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithm for assessing osteoporosis using Hounsfield units (HU) of preoperative lumbar CT coupling with data of QCT. MethodsWe reviewed 70 patients undergoing both QCT and conventional lumbar CT for spine surgery. The T-scores of 198 lumbar vertebra was assessed in QCT and the HU of vertebral body at the same level were measured in conventional CT by the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) system. A multiple regression algorithm was applied to predict the T-score using three independent variables (age, sex, and HU of vertebral body on conventional CT) coupling with T-score of QCT. Next, a logistic regression algorithm was applied to predict osteoporotic or non-osteoporotic vertebra. The Tensor flow and Python were used as the machine learning tools. The Tensor flow user interface developed in our institute was used for easy code generation. ResultsThe predictive model with multiple regression algorithm estimated similar T-scores with data of QCT. HU demonstrates the similar results as QCT without the discordance in only one non-osteoporotic vertebra that indicated osteoporosis. From the training set, the predictive model classified the lumbar vertebra into two groups (osteoporotic vs. non-osteoporotic spine) with 88.0% accuracy. In a test set of 40 vertebrae, classification accuracy was 92.5% when the learning rate was 0.0001 (precision, 0.939; recall, 0.969; F1 score, 0.954; area under the curve, 0.900). ConclusionThis study is a simple machine learning model applicable in the spine research field. The machine learning model can predict the T-score and osteoporotic vertebrae solely by measuring the HU of conventional CT, and this would help spine surgeons not to under-estimate the osteoporotic spine preoperatively. If applied to a bigger data set, we believe the predictive accuracy of our model will further increase. We propose that machine learning is an important modality of the medical research field.

The prevalence of osteoporosis among Iranian postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disorder that is common in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Different studies have reported different prevalence of osteoporosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of osteoporosis in Iranian postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Search for eligible articles was performed using the keywords of osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone mineral density, OP, bone loss, Post menopaus*, diabetes, hyperglycemia, and Iran, and their possible combinations in the following databases: Scientific Information Database (SID), MagIran, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Heterogeneity between studies was examined with I2. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method and random effects model with Stata version 11.0. The analysis of 4 papers with a sample size of 562 showed that the prevalence of osteoporosis in the lumbar spine and femoral neck of the Iranian post-menopausal women with type II diabetes was 25.26% (95% CI: 7.22–30.30) and 17.45% (95% CI: 0.25–34.65), respectively. Also, the prevalence of osteopenia in the lumbar spine and femoral neck of these patients was 45.23% (95% CI: 40.66–49.79) and 44.53% (95% CI: 36.60–52.47), respectively. There was no relationship between the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia with sample size, year of publication, age and body mass index. Osteoporosis and osteopenia are prevalent in women, so healthy lifestyle education for these postmenopausal women are necessary to reduce the prevalence of these problems.

High risk of lumbar spine osteoporosis with the RANK rs3018362 polymorphism

Osteoporosis is characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and quality, increasing the risk of fractures. A large number of genes involved in bone metabolism have been implicated in the genesis of osteoporosis; these include RANK and RANKL. Polymorphisms of these genes have been implicated in osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to determine the association of the RANK rs3018362 and RANKL rs12585014 polymorphisms with risk of osteoporosis. Four hundred Mexican women aged 40 years old or above were genotyped by real-time PCR and several demographic and risk factors were explored. The GA and AA genotypes of the rs3018362 polymorphism were associated with a high risk of osteoporosis in the dominant model (p=.0062; OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.24–3.78). In summary, the rs3018362 polymorphism in the RANK gene seems to be associated with osteoporosis of the lumbar spine while the RANKL rs12585014 is not, although more studies are needed to confirm these results.