SARCOPENIA AND VERTEBRAL FRAGILITY FRACTURE

Introduction: Increased life expectancy is associated with a greater frailty of elderly people and a higher prevalence of chronic and degenerative diseases, including osteoporosis. In Italy there is an high incidence of fragility fractures (1). Sarcopenia was significantly associated with osteoporosis in a large sample of women following a hip fragility fracture (2). Prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with vertebral fractures is largely unknown. The aim of our study is to investigate the frequency of sarcopenia in women who sustained vertebral fragility fractures. Materials and methods: In this pilot retrospective study we evaluated data of white women that referred to a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation outpatients’ Department with a diagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fracture. In this study we included women of 55 years old or older. Women with secondary osteoporosis or pathological vertebral fractures were excluded from the evaluation. Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure whole and regional body composition. Appendicular lean mass (aLM) was calculated as the sum of lean mass (LM) in arms and legs. We calculated the skeletal muscle mass (SMI) index (aLM/height squared), and we measured bone mineral density (BMD) and T-scores by DXA scan at total-body and at femoral neck. Participants were divided according to the number of vertebral fractures (single or multiple fractures). Results: A total of 67 women were included. Thirty-five women (52.23%) had a vertebral fracture. Of them 8 (22.85%) were sarcopenic. Thirty-two women (47.76%) had multiple vertebral fractures. Of them 14 (43.75) were sarcopenic. Our results suggest that sarcopenia is common among osteoporotic women increasing along with the number of vertebral fragility fractures. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that sarcopenia is common among osteoporotic women, increasing along with the number of vertebral fragility fractures. Further studies are needed to demonstrate a correlation between sarcopenia and osteoporosis both in terms of physiopathological and clinical aspects. Increasing the knowledge of these conditions would improve the therapeutic approach that counteract the onset of disabling complications.