Association of vertebral fractures with worsening degenerative changes of the spine: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Vertebral compression fractures (VFs) and spinal degeneration are both common causes of back pain, particularly in older adults. Previous cross-sectional studies have shown a potential association between these entities, but there is limited evidence on the role of VFs in spinal degeneration. In this longitudinal study, we evaluated the association between prevalent VFs and the subsequent progression of facet joint osteoarthritis (FJOA) and intervertebral disc height narrowing (DHN), using data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation Multi-Detector Computed Tomography study. Summary indices representing the total burden of each spinal parameter (VFs, DHN, and FJOA) were calculated for each individual. We hypothesized that prevalent VFs are associated with worsening spinal degeneration. Three hundred and seventy (31%) of 1197 participants had a baseline (prevalent) VF. The change in summary index of DHN over the follow-up period was significantly higher in those with vs without prevalent VF (difference in change in DHN 0.38, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.59, p