A COMMUNITY-BASED POPULATION STUDY OF VERTEBRAL FRACTURES IN 85-YEAR-OLD MEN AND WOMEN

Radiographic examinations for the presence of vertebral fracture betwe en T4 and L5 were performed in a random sample of 85-year-old women (n = 304) and men (n = 158) who participated in a longitudinal study in Gothenburg. A vertebral fracture was defined as an anterior/posterior (A/P) vertebral height ratio of 0.66 or less. A severe vertebral fract ure was defined as a compression of vertebral height of more than 33% both at the anterior and posterior edges compared to the posterior edg e of the adjacent vertebral body. Bone mineral density was measured wi th dual photon absorptiometry in the right calcaneus. The most common site for vertebral fractures was L1 in women and Th12 in men. Bone min eral density in men at the age of 75 showed a significant correlation with vertebral fractures at 85 years of age (p < 0.001). This was not the case for women. Stepwise logistic analysis revealed that women wit h vertebral fractures at 85 years of age had more significant back pai n, shorter stature, and more often a history of another fracture and/o r chronic treatment with corticosteroids. In men, muscle strength, mar ital status and body weight at age 85 were the only factors significan tly associated with vertebral fractures.