Long Term Follow-up of Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures According to the Morphologic Analysis of Fracture Pattern

Kim, Seok Woo; Chung, Yung Khee

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: We have analyzed vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis to find the clinical correlations with fracture types, level of lesion sites, numbers of involved vertebrae, age of patients, and the degree of osteoporosis.
OBJECTIVES
To analyze osteoporotic vertebral fractures clinically and it help us to increase our understandings of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and treat the patients more effectively. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are increasing number of patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. However, there are few articles analyzing patients according to their correlating factors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We evaluated sixty-three patients who were diagnosed and treated conservatively with osteoporotic compression fractures from January 1995 to June 1997. Plain radiographs and DEXA were taken to compare wedge compression ratio, biconcavity ratio, crush ratio according to fracture pattern, level of injury, number of injured vertebral body, and bone mineral density(BMD). All datas were statistically analyzed.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences among fracture pattern, level of injury and BMD. However, BMD was more sig-nificantly decreased in patients who was fractured their back at thoracic spine. BMD was lowered at multiply(3 or more vertebral bodies)injured, continuously involved(2 level or more) vertebral bodies.
CONCLUSION
We have concluded that careful observation and the efforts to differentiate osteoporotic compression fractures according to fracture pattern, injury level, BMD, and any objective clinical datas would be needed to manage these osteoporotic patients effectively.