Osteoporotic vertebral fractures: muscle size and bone architecture
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study to explore vertebral muscle size and bone macro- and micro-architecture: age-related changes and association with vertebral fracture in women.
IRAS ID
240320
Contact name
Karen Knapp
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Senior Research Governance Officer
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Osteoporosis is a disease whereby loss of bone tissue causes bones to become thinner and more fragile. This can increase the risk of fractures occurring. The most common type of osteoporotic fractures occur in the bones that make up the spine (vertebrae) although only one-third of spinal bone fractures are clinically diagnosed.
Osteoporosis is diagnosed on the basis of measurements of the density of bone but fifty percent of patients with spinal bone fractures don't have a diagnosis of osteoporosis based on measurement of their Bone Mineral Density (BMD).
A literature review on this topic suggests that there may be a relationship between the size and shape (shape modeling) of the vertebrae and the risk of fracture that could potentially provide additional information about the risk of fracture for patients.
Also, various muscles have a key role in the movement and stabilization of the spine and it could be important to consider if and how the size of muscles around the spine contributes to the occurrence of spinal fractures. It is therefore considered important to investigate whether spinal muscle size, composition and symmetry (whether the muscles are the same size both sides of the spine) are indicators for the development of vertebral fractures.
The main study objective is to identify whether, alongside bone density measurements, there is additional value in bone shape modeling and spinal muscle size measurement better understand osteoporotic vertebral fractures and underpin future studies of imaging-based predictors of these painful fractures.REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SW/0217
Date of REC Opinion
16 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion