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. 2016 May-Aug;13(2):119-122.
doi: 10.11138/ccmbm/2016.13.2.119. Epub 2016 Oct 5.

Underdiagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in patients with fragility fractures: retrospective analysis of over 300 patients

Vanna Bottai  1 , Stefano Giannotti  1 , Gloria Raffaetà  1 , Maurizio Mazzantini  2 , Francesco Casella  1 , Gaia De Paola  1 , Agnese Menconi  1 , Francesca Falossi  1 , Giulio Guido  1
Affiliations

Underdiagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in patients with fragility fractures: retrospective analysis of over 300 patients

Vanna Bottai et al. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2016 May-Aug.

Abstract

Osteoporosis (OP) is a silent disease unless a fracture occurs; it is a major health problem, mainly due to fragility fractures, that occur at vertebral and peripheral sites. Vertebral fractures (VF) are probably the most common fragility fractures, but they go often unrecognized. The main clinical symptoms of VF are acute and chronic back pain, spinal deformity, reduced mobility and impaired quality of life. They are frequently associated with other fragility fractures. We examined 478 patients at our outpatient clinic, who were referred for fragility fracture occurrence. The most common fragility fractures was hip fractures. However, after execution of spine X-rays in patients who had sustained hip fracture, we found that a large proportion of them had VF, which had not been reported in their medical history.

Keywords: fragility fractures; osteoporosis; vertebral fractures.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
AP X-ray.
Figure 2
Figure 2
LL X-ray.
Figure 3
Figure 3
CT scan of VF.
Figure 4
Figure 4
MRI of multiple VF.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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