Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences on calcified tissues
Bone Abstracts (2013) 1 W3.2 | DOI: 10.1530/boneabs.1.W3.2

ECTS2013 Workshops Vertebral fractures (3 abstracts)

Workshop 3: how are vertebral fractures best detected and diagnosed?

Emma Clark


University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.


Less than one-third of osteoporotic vertebral fractures are correctly identified and managed. This is due to a variety of reasons including lack of clear clinical triggers of who to refer for diagnostic spinal radiographs. However, there is increasing evidence for strategies to identify which older people have existing vertebral fractures. One such strategy combines four clinical triggers in a screening tool that has been shown in a large RCT to effectively increase appropriate bisphosphonate prescribing in the community. However, there are still unresolved issues around the detection and diagnosis of vertebral fractures, as this screening tool will not identify everyone with an osteoporotic vertebral fracture. In addition, there are important difficulties with interpretation and reporting of the results of spinal imaging. Finally, newer imaging techniques performed at the same time as traditional DXA scans (vertebral fracture assessment, VFA) are being increasingly used in the clinic, without good evidence for change in management as a result.

Volume 1

European Calcified Tissue Society Congress 2013

Lisbon, Portugal
18 May 2013 - 22 May 2013

European Calcified Tissue Society 

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