Vertebral Fracture: Vertebral Analysis from 2D VFA Scans
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Vertebral Fracture: Vertebral Analysis and Fracture Risk Assessment from 2D VFA Scans
IRAS ID
161410
Contact name
Margaret A Paggiosi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 3 days
Research summary
Osteoporosis is a common bone disease affecting one in two women and one in five men. It can lead to fractures; with vertebral fractures occurring most frequently in older people. These fractures are difficult to diagnose and are often only discovered when the spine is imaged. Taking x-rays of the spine is the preferred way of looking for vertebral fractures, however this can expose patients to high levels of radiation (about 7 months of naturally occurring background radiation).
The Mellanby Centre for Bone Research at The University of Sheffield uses dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (or DXA) to look for vertebral fractures, using a scanning technique called vertebral fracture assessment by DXA (known as VFA). VFA does use x-rays but patients are exposed to much lower levels of radiation (about 4 days of naturally occurring background radiation). Also we know from our previous studies that VFA is as good as spine x-rays for identifying vertebral fractures.
The Mellanby Centre for Bone Research has developed a method, called the algorithm-based qualitative (ABQ) method, for identifying vertebral fractures. This approach looks at a number of important features of the vertebrae; other available methods do not do this. The ABQ method is now used in standard clinical practice at the Metabolic Bone Centre, Northern General Hospital, in Sheffield. However, in-depth training is needed before it can be used effectively.
Computer programs have been developed to help healthcare professionals detect vertebral fractures. But they do not examine differences in the size and shape of vertebrae. We will develop a computer program that automatically examines vertebrae using the ABQ method. We aim to use our program clinically as a diagnostic tool for identifying vertebral fractures.REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1348
Date of REC Opinion
28 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion