Risk Of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Articles

Clinical Utility of Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) in Fracture Risk Assessment of Patients with Rheumatic Diseases Treated with Glucocorticoids.

Chronic glucocorticoid therapy is associated with osteoporosis and can cause fractures in up to 50% of patients. Increased risk of fractures in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis does not result only from the decreased bone mineral density (BMD) but also bone microarchitecture deterioration. Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a method complementary to DXA, providing additional information about trabecular bone structure. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of TBS in fracture risk assessment of patients treated with glucocorticoids. Patients with rheumatic diseases treated with glucocorticoids for at least 3 months were enrolled. All recruited patients underwent DXA with additional TBS assessment. We analyzed the frequency of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures and assessed factors that might be associated with the risk of osteoporotic fractures. A total of 64 patients were enrolled. TBS and TBS T-score values were significantly lower in patients with osteoporosis compared to patients without osteoporosis. Low energy fractures occurred in 19 patients. The disturbed bone microarchitecture was found in 30% of patients with fractures without osteoporosis diagnosis based on BMD. In the multivariate analysis, only TBS and age were significantly associated with the occurrence of osteoporotic fractures. TBS reflects the influence of glucocorticoid therapy on bone quality better than DXA measured BMD and provides an added value to DXA in identifying the group of patients particularly prone to fractures.

First results of the register of patients with osteoporosis included in the secondary fracture prevention services

Background. To reduce the number of osteoporotic fractures in the world in recent years, — Fracture Liaison Service has been created. Since 2019, the development of a register of patients included in the Secondary Fracture Prevention named «Prometheus» has begun in Russia.Materials and methods. An information system for storing, searching and processing information has been created, and a registration card has been developed. Six FLS participate in the register management. As of 10.03.2021, data on 387 patients were introduced in the register.Results. Among the included patients, 46.25% received a fracture of the proximal femur, 20.41% — of the vertebral bodies and 16.80% of the proximal humerus, the rest had fractures of other localizations. The risk of fractures was assessed in all patients. A high risk of major osteoporotic fractures according to FRAX was determined in 160 (43.24%) people. Two-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed in 152 (39.28%) patients, and osteoporosis was detected in 103 (67.76%), osteopenia — in 42 (27.63%) patients. The risk of falls was assessed in 100% of the included patients, and the risk of falls was determined to be high in 343 (88.63%) patients. Evaluation of various laboratory parameters to find the causes of secondary osteoporosis was performed in most patients. After consultation with the FLS doctor, anti-osteoporotic drugs were prescribed to 241 (64.27%) people. Among the rest, 70 (52.24%) patients had contra-indications and 31 (23.13%) people needed further examination.Conclusions. Thus, the use of the register allows you to evaluate all the main sections of the organization of assistance within the FLS and compare them with international standards to identify «gaps» and improve the work of the service.

Rate of fracture among women undergoing treatment for gynecologic malignancies

Objectives: Women undergoing treatment for gynecologic malignancies have multiple risk factors for developing fractures, including surgically-induced menopause, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The incidence of fracture among women treated for gynecologic cancers is estimated to be as high as 20%, however there is limited data regarding the rate of and risk factors for fracture in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of fracture and characteristics of patients with fracture among women undergoing treatment for gynecologic malignancies. Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective cohort study of patients who received surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and/or radiation for the treatment of cervical, uterine, and/or vulvar cancer between January 2012 and December 2014. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, cancer therapies, and risk factors for fracture were manually extracted from patients’ medical records. Results: Of the 469 women included in the analysis, most (93.8%) were White or African American (3.6%), with a mean age of 58.2 (SD=13.7) years at the time of cancer diagnosis. The mean BMI was 34.8 (SD=9.8) kg/m2. Most (70.4%) patients were menopausal prior to cancer treatment and 16.4% underwent surgically-induced menopause. The majority (69.7%) of patients had a diagnosis of uterine cancer, followed by cervical cancer (16.8%) and vulvar cancer (8.5%). One third (33.7, n=158) received neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy and 28.4% (n=133) underwent adjuvant radiation. The mean pre- and post-treatment risk of major osteoporotic fracture by FRAX score was 6.9% (SD=5.7) and 8.5% (SD=6.5). Only 20 patients (4.3%) had a DXA scan performed prior to cancer treatment. The proportion of post-treatment fracture within the first two years following treatment was 3.6% (n=17). Of these, most (88.2%, n=15) were diagnosed by x-ray (n=9, 54.8%), followed by MRI (n=4, 23.5%) and CT (n=2, 11.8%). Patients with post-treatment fractures tended to be older at time of treatment (61.9 vs 57.6 years), current tobacco users (47.1% vs 14.1%), and postmenopausal prior to cancer therapy (100% vs 69.7%). Patients with post-treatment fractures also tended to have one or more comorbidity (100% vs 89.4%), have cervical cancer (41.2% vs 15.9%), and to have undergone radiation treatment (64.7% vs 27.4%) as well as chemotherapy treatment (70.6% vs 32.7%). Download : Download high-res image (274KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Our findings indicate the rate of fracture in the first two years following treatment for gynecologic malignancies is approximately 3.6%. Few women undergo bone mineral density screening prior to cancer treatment. Women with cervical cancer who are postmenopausal with multiple co-morbidities prior to treatment who receive chemotherapy and/or radiation are at higher risk. The mean post-treatment FRAX of 8.5% suggests that many patients may benefit from bone mineral density testing and risk stratification for osteoporosis following cancer therapy.

The use of ultrasonic densitometry in assessing bone mineral density and determining the 10-year risk of osteoporotic fractures in older women in the family doctor practice

Osteoporosis is the fourth most common disease after cardiovascular, cancer and endocrine diseases. With an increase in life expectancy, it becomes one of the main causes of deterioration in health and an increase in mortality.
 The aim of the study. To identify women with low bone density using ultrasound densitometry and assess the risk of osteoporotic fractures.
 Materials and methods. The study was based on a survey of 31 women in the Odessa region, the average age of the subjects was 57±9.1 years, the average body weight was 75.74±12.5 kg, height 162.8±0.1 cm, the average BMI was 28.57±4.5. All women were divided into groups by age with a ten-year interval and by densitometry indices.
 Results. Decrease in bone density was found in 51.6 % of examined women. The lowest BMD was in the age group of 70–79 years, and the largest numbers of respondents with osteopenic changes were at the age of 50–59. A linear correlation was found between BMD and age at the level of significance p=0.007. The linear regression equation is: t=-0.03968 *age+1.268, (r=-0.473). In women with osteopenia, a significant increase in indicators was found for almost all algorithms for assessing the 10-year risk of fractures at p<0.05 (except for FRAX Hiр without BMD (p=0.087)) and a significant decrease in ultrasound densitometry indicators compared with women with normal BMD. Women with fractures had significantly higher scores according to the FRAX Total algorithms without BMD (p=0.002), FRAX Hiр without BMD (p=0.004) and Q-fracture Hiр (p=0.044).
 Conclusions. Most women had osteopenic manifestations according to ultrasound densitometry. Age significantly correlates with BMD parameters. The numbers of women with changes in the structure of bone tissue increases with age, and, after 70 years, all women have osteopenic manifestations. The algorithms for assessing the 10-year risk of fractures FRAX and Q-Fracture reliably correlate with densitometry indicators. The combination of ultrasound densitometry with algorithms for assessing the risk of osteoporotic fractures significantly increases the diagnosis of osteoporosis

Serum exosomes from young rats improve the reduced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in aged rats with osteoporosis after fatigue loading in vivo

BackgroundOsteoporosis is a major public health concern for the elderly population and is characterized by fatigue load resulting in bone microdamage. The ability of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to repair bone microdamage diminishes with age, and the accumulation of bone microdamage increases the risk of osteoporotic fracture. There is a lack of effective means to promote the repair of bone microdamage in aged patients with osteoporosis. Exosomes have been shown to be related to the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Here, we aimed to evaluate the changes in the osteogenic differentiation capacity of BMSCs in aged osteoporotic rats after fatigue loading and the treatment potential of serum exosomes from young rats.MethodsThe tibias of six aged osteoporotic rats were subjected to fatigue loading in vivo for 2 weeks, and the bone microdamage, microstructures, and mechanical properties were assessed. Subsequently, BMSCs were extracted to evaluate their proliferation and osteogenic differentiation abilities. In addition, the BMSCs of aged osteoporotic rats after fatigue loading were treated with serum exosomes from young rats under osteogenic induction conditions, and the expression of osteogenic-related miRNAs was quantified. The osteogenetic effects of miRNA-19b-3p in exosomes and the possible target protein PTEN was detected.ResultsObvious bone microdamage at the fatigue load stress point, the bone microstructure and biomechanical properties were not obviously changed. A decreased osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs was observed after fatigue loading, while serum exosomes from young rats highly expressing miRNA-19b-3p improved the decreased osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs. Transfection with miRNA-19b-3p mimic could promote osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs and decreased the expression of PTEN. After transfection of miRNA-19b-3p inhibitor, the promotional effect of exosomes on bone differentiation was weakened. Treatment with transfected exosomes increased the expression of PTEN.ConclusionSerum exosomes derived from young rats can improve the decreased osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs in aged rats with osteoporosis after fatigue loading and can provide a new treatment strategy for the repair of bone microdamage and prevention of fractures.

Implementation of a pharmacist and student pharmacist–led primary care service to identify and treat rural veterans at risk for osteoporotic fracture

ObjectiveTo develop and implement a pharmacist and student pharmacist–led osteoporosis service to increase dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening rates among rural veterans and treat those at high risk of osteoporotic fractures. Practice descriptionPharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide direct patient care in the Department of Veterans Affairs ambulatory care setting owing to their broad scope of practice. Clinical Pharmacy Specialists (CPSs) have the authority to order laboratory tests and imaging, prescribe medications, refer patients to specialty services, and monitor patients along with the primary care team. Practice innovationThe implementation of a pharmacist-led osteoporosis primary prevention service using student pharmacists to identify and treat patients has not been previously described in the literature to the authors’ knowledge. Evaluation methodsStudent pharmacists in their third year contacted veterans who met the inclusion criteria for osteoporosis screening. The veterans were offered DXA scans and provided education on the risk factors for osteoporosis. After the DXA scans were completed, the students and the CPS reviewed the results to determine treatment strategies. The primary objective was evaluated by comparing the pre- and post-implementation rates of DXA screening. The other process markers that were evaluated included (1) completed DXA scans, (2) new diagnoses of osteoporosis or osteopenia, (3) patients eligible for treatment on the basis of the DXA screening results, and (4) patients who started oral bisphosphonate therapy. ResultsOf the 232 rural veterans evaluated, 36 had completed DXA scans before this service was implemented. After the service was implemented, 115 veterans completed DXA scans. A total of 57 patients received a new diagnosis, 33 were eligible for therapy, and 12 started oral bisphosphonate therapy after intervention by the CPS. ConclusionThe implementation of a pharmacist-driven osteoporosis screening and treatment service demonstrated an increase in the rate of DXA screening among rural veterans.

Risk of osteoporotic thoracic vertebral fractures in patients with gout

ObjectivesOsteoporosis causes significant morbidity and mortality by the development of fragility fractures, including vertebral fractures. Patients with gout may show an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures, as accelerated bone resorption is likely linked to urate crystal-led inflammatory state. This study aims to evaluate the risk of osteoporotic dorsal vertebral fractures associated with gout. MethodsCross-sectional study carried out in patients admitted for cardiovascular events. Patients with available lateral view of chest radiography (on admission or in the previous six months) were selected. Two observers blinded to clinical data reviewed the radiographies simultaneously. Vertebral fracture was defined as a vertebral height loss ≥20%, and presence, number, and severity (by Genant semi-quantitative scale) were registered. To analyse the relationship between gout and the presence of vertebral fractures, the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated by multiple logistic regression. Results126 patients were analysed, 21 of them (16.67%) suffered from gout. Eighteen cases with fractures were detected, with a prevalence of 14.3%. A significant association was found between gout and vertebral fracture (28.6% gout, 11.4% controls; OR 3.10, 95%CI 1.01–9.52). There were no differences in the number of fractures, while the severity was found to be higher in the controls. The association between gout and vertebral fracture persisted after multivariate adjustment (OR 5.21, 95% CI 1.32−20.61). ConclusionAn independent association between gout and radiological thoracic vertebral fractures was revealed in patients with a cardiovascular event.

Estimation of bone mineral density and algorithms of 10-year risk of osteoporotic fractures in women

Osteoporosis is the fourth most common after cardiovascular, cancer and endocrine diseases. With an increase in life expectancy, it becomes one of the main causes of deterioration in health and an increase in mortality.
 Aim of the study. Assess bone mineral density using ultrasonic densitometry and the risk of osteoporotic fractures among women in Cherkasy region.
 Materials and methods. The study was based on a survey of 43 women in the Odessa region, the average age of the subjects was 56,4±9,9 years, the average body weight was 73,5±11,6 kg, height 164,9±5,9 cm, the average BMI was 27,1±4,3. All women were divided into groups by age with a ten-year interval and by densitometry indices.
 Results. Decreased bone density was found in 58,1 % of subjects, osteoporosis - 2 (4,8%). Women with osteopenia and osteoporosis have an increased risk of fractures and significantly reduced ultrasound densitometry compared to respondents with normal BMD. The structure of concomitant pathology was dominated by diseases of the circulatory system (22 cases;51,2 %) and digestive organs (12; 27,9 %). More than half of women (26; 60,5 %) had a total of 50 comorbidities, with an average of 1.2 cases of comorbidity.
 Conclusions. Most women had osteopenic manifestations. Age significantly correlates with BMD parameters. The number of women with changes in the structure of bone tissue increases with age. Algorithms for assessing the 10-year risk of FRAX and Q-Fracture fractures are significantly correlated with densitometry. The combination of ultrasonic densitometry with algorithms for assessing the risk of osteoporotic fractures increases the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Low-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy and risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

ObjectivesClinical trials have shown that low-dose glucocorticoid therapy in patients with RA reduces bone loss in hands or hip, but the effect on osteoporotic fractures is not yet clear. Therefore, we investigated the use of low-dose oral glucocorticoids and risk of osteoporotic fractures among patients with RA.MethodsThis was a cohort study including patients with RA aged 50+ years from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1997 and 2017. Exposure to oral glucocorticoids was stratified by the most recent prescription in current (<6 months), recent (7–12 months) and past (>1 year) use, and average daily and cumulative doses. Risk of incident osteoporotic fractures (including hip, vertebrae, humerus, forearm, pelvis and ribs) was estimated by time-dependent Cox proportional-hazards models, adjusted for lifestyle parameters, comorbidities and comedications. Secondary analyses assessed osteoporotic fracture risk with a combination of average daily and cumulative doses of oral glucocorticoids.ResultsAmong 15 123 patients with RA (mean age 68.8 years, 68% females), 1640 osteoporotic fractures occurred. Current low-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy (≤7.5 mg prednisolone equivalent dose/day) in patients with RA was not associated with overall risk of osteoporotic fractures (adjusted hazard ratio 1.14, 95% CI 0.98, 1.33) compared with past glucocorticoid use, but was associated with an increased risk of clinical vertebral fracture (adjusted hazard ratio 1.59, 95% CI 1.11, 2.29). Results remained unchanged regardless of a short-term or a long-term use of oral glucocorticoids.ConclusionClinicians should be aware that even in RA patients who receive low daily glucocorticoid doses, the risk of clinical vertebral fracture is increased.

Low Bone Mineral Density and Risk for Osteoporotic Fractures in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis.

Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) can lead to malnutrition, an established risk factor for low bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures. This study aims to determine the prevalence of low BMD, assess fracture incidence and explore risk factors for fractures in patients with CP. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients treated for CP at Karolinska University Hospital between January 1999 and December 2020. Electronic medical records were retrieved to assess demographic, laboratory and clinical data. Patients subjected to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were categorised as either low BMD or normal BMD. We investigated whether the rate of fractures, defined by chart review, differed between these groups using Cox regression, adjusting the model for age, sex and body mass index (BMI). Additional within-group survival analysis was conducted to identify potential risk factors. Results: DXA was performed in 23% of patients with definite CP. Some 118 patients were included in the final analysis. Low BMD was present in 63 (53.4%) patients. Mean age at CP diagnosis in the total cohort was 53.1 years and was significantly lower in patients with normal BMD than in patients with low BMD (45.5 vs. 59.8, p < 0.001). Significant differences were observed in smoking status and disease aetiology, i.e., a higher proportion of patients with low BMD were current or former smokers, with nicotine or alcohol being a more common cause of CP (p < 0.05). Total follow-up time was 898 person-years. Fractures were found in 33 (28.0%) patients: in 5 of 55 patients (16.7%) with normal DXA and in 28 of 63 patients (44.4%) with low BMD (adjusted hazard ratio = 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2–9.6). Patients with at least 3 months of consecutive pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) or vitamin D treatment had a longer median time to fracture after CP diagnosis. Conclusion: DXA was only performed in 23% of patients with definite CP in this study, indicating a low adherence to current European guidelines. A low BMD was found in 53.4% of patients with CP, and 44% of the patients with a low BMD experienced a fracture during follow-up. Moreover, the fracture rate in patients with low BMD increased compared to those with normal BMD.

Fragility Associated With Looming Risk of Osteoporotic Fracture

Fragility Associated With Looming Risk of Osteoporotic Fracture

Assessment of the use of different risk algorithms for osteoporotic fractures in women in the practice of a family doctor

Object of research: Women in whom the risk of osteoporotic fractures was assessed using the FRAX, Q-Fracture algorithms, and the risk factors for osteoporosis and their role in the development of osteoporotic fractures were studied.&#x0D; Investigated problem: the use of various algorithms in the practice of a family doctor to assess the 10-year risk of osteoporotic fractures.&#x0D; Main scientific results: A decrease in bone mineral density was found in 51.4 % of the surveyed women, of whom osteopenia was in 48.7 %, osteoporosis in 2.9 % of women. The risk of fractures according to all algorithms was higher in women of the age group 70–79 years: FRAX Total – 8.87±3.2, FRAX Hip – 4.03±3.1, Q fracture total – 12.87±1.5, Q fracture Hip – 7.97±2.7, FRAX Total without BMD – 11.9±5.5, FRAX Hip without BMD – 6.3±4.8. Age correlates negatively with the T score (r=–0.47, p=0.007) and positively with the FRAX Total algorithms without BMD (r=–0.47, p=0.003), FRAX Hip without BMD (r=0.78, p=0.006), Q fracture total (r=0.86, p=0.007), Q fracture Hip (r=0.92, p=0.008), FRAX Hip with BMD (r=0.55, p=0.009). No statistically significant difference was found with FRAX Total with BMD (r=0.21, p=0.345).&#x0D; Risk factors: 14.3 % of women had fractures of various localization; fractures in parents were noted by 37.1 % of respondents; a decrease in height by 3 cm during life occurred in 13.3 %. Early menopause (up to 45 years old) occurred in 11.4 % of women. Physical activity less than 30 minutes a day was noted by 68.6 %.&#x0D; The area of practical use of the research results: the primary level of medical care.&#x0D; Innovative technological product: early identification of risk factors for osteoporosis and calculation of the risk of fractures will reduce the medical and social consequences of complications in osteoporosis.&#x0D; Scope of application of the innovative technological product: in the clinical practice of general practitioners.

Ukrainian FRAX version in the male osteoporosis management

Background. At present, FRAX is a well-known and widely-used risk assessment tool for major osteoporotic fractures. The Ukrainian version of the FRAX algorithm was presented in 2016; with the “intervention threshold” for additional DXA examination and antiosteoporotic treatment of the Ukrainian women published in 2019. However, the data on its possible uses in men are limited. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the possibilities of using the previously developed criteria of the Ukrainian FRAX algorithm in Ukrainian men. Materials and methods. We examined 653 outpatients aged 40–88 years (mean age (M±SD)— 60.5±11.8 years). We analyzed the results both in the general group and in the age subgroups; in particular, with an account of low-trauma fractures, included in the FRAX calculation, and compared them with the corresponding indices of the Ukrainian women. Results. The most frequent (26.6 %) risk factor for osteoporotic fractures in the group of Ukrainian men was a history of low-trauma fracture (the corresponding index in women was 51.3 %), its presence being the reason for antiosteoporotic treatment initiating. Following upon the risk of major osteoporotic fractures calculated by FRAX, only 6.7 % of men without previous fractures were found to require additional DXA examination in order to re-evaluate the osteoporotic fracture risk, and none had a high fracture risk. 73 % of men without fractures did not have any risk factor included in the FRAX algorithm. Conclusions. This study showed a greater need for both antiosteoporotic treatment without DXA assessment and additional densitometric examination for the osteoporotic fracture risk assessment for the Ukrainian women rather than men, along with a special attention to the presence of previous fractures in men, and consideration of other risk factors for osteoporosis, even those not included in this FRAX algorithm.

A cross-sectional comparison of selected anthropometric, laboratory, and densitometric parameters in postmenopausal osteoporotic women with and without vertebral compression fractures.

Osteoporosis leads to an increased risk of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Most of them are spontaneous, which makes early diagnosis difficult. The aim of the study was to find parameters that distinguish osteoporotic women with and without vertebral compression fractures. A total of 437 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis were enrolled to the study. Based on the results of densitometric vertebral fracture assessment, patients were divided into 2 groups: with (n = 193) and without (n = 244) VCFs. Then selected anthropometric, laboratory, and densitometric parameters as well as questionnaire data were compared. The following distinguishing factors were found among patients with VCFs in comparison to patients without such fractures: older age- 73.93 years vs. 69.63 years [p(1) < 0.001, p(2) < 0.001], shorter height - 1.56 m vs. 1.58 m [p(4) < 0.001], lower value of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) according to Cockcroft-Gault formula - 58.22 mL/min. vs. 66.25 mL/min. [p(1) < 0.025, p(2) = 0.002], lower peripheral blood haemoglobin and serum albumin concentration (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.51, p(5) = 0.03; OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.09-4.80, p(5) = 0.03, respectively), and higher 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture (FRAX MOF) -12.01% vs. 9.69% [p(1) < 0.01, p(2) < 0.001] and hip fracture (FRAX HIP) - 3.85% vs. 2.55% [p(1) < 0.01, p(2) < 0.001]. In addition, among patients with VCFs a greater severity of back pain was found in the 11-grade scale of pain intensity - 6.12 vs. 4.29 [p(1) < 0.001, p(2) < 0.001, p(3) < 0.001]. The bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip were lower in patients with VCFs - 25.25 vs. 26.2 g and 0.72 g/cm² vs. 0.75 g/cm², respectively [p(4) = 0.04 and p(4) < 0.001, respectively]. Patients with VCFs were characterised by greater back pain intensity, higher fracture risk according to the FRAX calculator, and lower values of the following: GFR according to Cockcroft-Gault formula, peripheral blood haemoglobin and serum albumin concentration, and BMD of the hip. Further studies are required to validate the FRAX calculator to assess not only the risk of future fractures but also unrecognised VCFs.

Low dietary calcium intake does not modify fracture risk but increases fall frequency: the results of GO Study.

The aim of the study was to verify the thesis that dietary calcium intake influences the risk of osteoporotic fractures established by online available calculators. The study was performed in 521 postmenopausal women aged over 55 years, recruited in one osteoporotic outpatient clinic. Mean age was 67.7 ± 8.6 years. Fracture risk was established using FRAX (major and hip fractures, 10 years), Garvan calculator (any and hip fractures, 5 and 10 years), and the Polish algorithm available at www.fracture-risk.pl (any fractures, 5 years). Bone densitometry at the femoral neck was performed using a DPX device (Lunar, GE, USA) to calculate fracture risk by each of those calculators. Calcium intake was established based on a dietary questionnaire. Mean values of fracture risk for all three calculators and T-score value for DXA measurement at the femoral neck did not correlate with calcium intake. A tendency to insignificantly lower calcium intake was observed in the subgroup with high hip fracture risk by FRAX (≥ 3%) vs. low hip FRAX (< 3%): 744 ± 328 mg/day vs. 765 ± 299 mg/day. The same analysis for FRAX major fracture risk revealed a similar tendency: 700 ± 299 mg/day and 760 ± 311 mg/day in high (≥ 20%) and low (< 20%) fracture-risk groups, respectively. Calcium intake did not influence the results obtained in the other two calculators at all. Calcium intake did not differ between subjects with prior falls and those without falls. However, if the number of falls was taken into account, the women who reported three and more falls had significantly lower calcium intake (621 ± 275 mg/day) than subjects with no falls (767 ± 304 mg/day; p < 0.05) or those with one fall (766 ± 317 mg/day; p < 0.05). Calcium intake does not correlate with fracture risk established by calculators available on-line, but low calcium intake may increase the risk of falls.

Bone healing around titanium implants in a preclinical model of bile duct ligation-induced liver injury.

ObjectivesChronic liver disease increases the risk for periodontal disease and osteoporotic fractures, but its impacts on bone regeneration remain unknown. Herein, we studied the impact of liver cirrhosis on peri‐implant bone formation.Material and MethodsA total of 20 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: one with the common bile duct ligated (BDL) and the respective sham‐treated control group (SHAM). After four weeks of disease induction, titanium mini‐screws were inserted into the tibia. Successful induction of liver cirrhosis was confirmed by the presence of clinical symptoms. Another four weeks later, peri‐implant bone volume per tissue volume (BV/TV) and bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC) were determined by histomorphometric analysis.ResultsPeri‐implant bone formation was not significantly different between the SHAM and BDL groups. In the cortical compartment, the median percentage of peri‐implant new bone was 10.1% (95% CI of mean 4.0–35.7) and 22.5% (13.8–30.6) in the SHAM and BDL groups, respectively (p = .26). Consistently, the new bone in direct contact with the implant was 18.1% (0.4–37.8) and 23.3% (9.2–32.8) in SHAM and BDL groups, respectively (p = .38). When measuring the medullary compartment, the new bone area was 7.1% (4.8–10.4) and 10.4% (7.2–13.5) in the SHAM and BDL groups, respectively (p = .17). Medullary new bone in direct contact with the implant was 10.0% (1.2–50.4) and 20.6% (16.8–35.3) in SHAM and BDL groups, respectively, and thus comparable between the two groups (p = .46).ConclusionsBile duct ligation has no significant impact on the early stages of peri‐implant bone formation.

Long-term risk of subsequent major osteoporotic fracture and hip fracture in men and women: a population-based observational study with a 25-year follow-up.

The risk of subsequent fractures is increased following an index fracture, and declines over time. We aimed to determine whether this risk was sustained over 25 years and evolved similarly in men and women. Using population-based databases, we performed a matched cohort study in 16,876 men and 39,230 women ≥ 50 years who sustained an index fracture during 1989-2006. Rates of subsequent major osteoporotic fractures (MOF) and hip fractures until 2016 were compared to rates for matched controls (n = 160,983). Age- and sex-stratified cumulative incidences to 25 years were estimated in the presence of competing mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for subsequent fractures were estimated for each on the first 15 years of follow-up with a final category ≥ 15 years, adjusted for comorbidities. Risk for MOF and hip fractures remained elevated up to 25 years in both sexes. The cumulative incidence of fractures was higher in cases vs controls in both sexes and across all age categories except in those > 90 years. Crude rate ratios for subsequent MOF were 2.5 (95% CI 2.3-2.7) in men and 1.6 (95% CI 1.6-1.7) in women and were higher in the younger age groups. Adjusted HRs (aHRs) for subsequent MOF were higher in men than in women in the first year (men aHR 2.6, 95% CI 2.1-3.3; women aHR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-1.7). The risk of subsequent fractures following an initial fracture was increased over 25 years and the magnitude of risk was initially greater in men than in women.

Men's Bones Matter Too, a Cross Sectional Study Examining Bone Health among Men with Intellectual Disability in Ireland.

Globally between 30-40% of all osteoporotic fractures occur among men, with a quarter of all hip fractures, the most serious complication of osteoporosis, occurring in men. Among men of 50 years of age or older, osteoporotic fracture risk reaches an alarming 20%. What is of great concern is that associated mortality is greater among men when compared with women. For hip fractures specifically, mortality for men is two to three times that in women which may be attributed to the fact that osteoporosis is often considered a “women’s disease”. Of great concern is that there is a paucity of bone health investigation among men with intellectual disability. In the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, objective bone status of 244 men was measured using a quantitative ultrasound. Participant’s also self-reported doctor’s diagnosis of health conditions including osteoporosis, medication and fracture history with the assistance of key workers/family. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Faculty of Health Sciences Trinity College and all participating service providers. Overall, 70.9% of men presented with poor bone health, with 57.8% taking at least one medication that contributed to osteoporosis/osteopenia. Men had a high prevalence of fracture (21.7%) despite this less than 18% had attended bone health screening. In light of these findings, it is time for the spotlight to focus on men’s bone health and for healthcare professionals to realise how ‘at risk’ of osteoporosis are men with intellectual disability. Projections place men on a trajectory of continuous increased risk of fracture in comparison to women.

Development of prediction model for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture screening without using clinical risk factors, compared with FRAX and other previous models

SummaryThis study developed a prediction model to assess the need for asymptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) screening in women without using clinical risk factors. Our results demonstrated that the combination of age, height loss, and femoral neck T-score can predict OVCF comparable to previous models, including FRAX.PurposeOsteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is a major fracture in osteoporosis patients. Early detection of OVCF can reduce the risk of subsequent fractures and death. Many existing diagnostic tools can screen for the risk of osteoporotic fracture but none aim to identify OVCF. The objective of this research is to study a predictive model for capturing OVCF and compare it with previous models.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted that included women aged ≥ 50 years who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and vertebral fracture screening between 2012 and 2019. The data included age, height, weight, history of height loss (HHL), and bone mass density (BMD). Receiver operating characteristic analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed. The predictive OVCF model was formulated, and the result was compared to other models.ResultsA total of 617 women, a 179 of which had OVCFs, were eligible for analysis. Multivariate regression analysis showed age > 65, height loss > 1.5 cm, and femoral neck T-score < -1.7 as independent risk factors for OVCF. This model revealed comparable performance with FRAX. The model without BMD revealed superior performance to FRAX and other standard osteoporosis assessment models.ConclusionsBMD and vertebral fracture screening should be eligible for individual women age > 65 years with an HHL more than 1.5 cm, regardless of BMD. Vertebral fracture assessment should be additionally conducted on these women with a femoral neck T-score less than -1.7.

A Network Meta-Analysis Comparing Osteoporotic Fracture among Different Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Vitamin K Antagonists in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

BackgroundThere are limited studies comparing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures between different direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Using a network meta-analysis (NMA), we compared osteoporotic fractures among 5 different treatment arms, viz. dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, and VKA.MethodsTen studies, including 5 randomized control trials and 5 population-based studies, with a total of 321,844 patients (148,751 and 173,093 in the VKA and DOAC group, respectively) with a median follow-up of 2 years, were included. A Bayesian random-effects NMA model comparing fractures among the treatment arms was performed using MetInsight V3. Sensitivity analysis excluded studies with the highest residual deviances from the NMA model.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 70 years. The meta-analysis favored DOACs over VKA with significantly lower osteoporotic fracture (odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.70–0.86). The NMA demonstrated that fractures were significantly lower with apixaban compared with dabigatran (OR, 0.64; 95% CrI, 0.44–0.95); however, fractures were statistically similar between apixaban and rivaroxaban (OR, 0.84; 95% CrI, 0.58–1.24) and dabigatran and rivaroxaban (OR, 1.32; 95% CrI, 0.90–1.87). Based on the Bayesian model of NMA, the probability of osteoporotic fracture was highest with VKA and lowest with apixaban, followed by rivaroxaban, edoxaban, and dabigatran.ConclusionsThe decision to prescribe anticoagulants in elderly patients with AF should be made not only based on thrombotic and bleeding risks but also on the risk of osteoporotic fracture; these factors should be considered and incorporated in contemporary cardiology practice.