Association between visceral fat and osteoporotic vertebral compression refractures

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Osteoporotic vertebral compression refractures (OVCRFs) are a common cause of morbidity in older adults.
• Visceral fat accumulation is increasingly recognized as a metabolic risk factor, but its specific association with OVCRFs requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between visceral fat area (VFA) and OVCRFs.
• To identify independent risk factors for OVCRFs, including demographic, clinical, and imaging parameters.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 311 patients who underwent percutaneous kyphoplasties (PKPs) for OVCRs.
• Visceral fat area (VFA) was quantified using CT scans.
• Statistical analyses, including univariate, multivariate, and correlation analyses, were performed to identify risk factors and associations.

Main Results:

• OVCRFs occurred in 22.19% of patients.
• High VFA was significantly associated with OVCRFs (P < 0.001).
• Independent risk factors for OVCRFs included female sex (P < 0.001) and high VFA (P < 0.001), while higher bone mineral density (BMD) was protective (P = 0.014).

Conclusions:

• High visceral fat area (VFA) is a significant independent risk factor for osteoporotic vertebral compression refractures (OVCRFs).
• Female sex and low bone mineral density (BMD) are also associated with increased OVCRF risk.
• In overweight and obese patients, high VFA remains a key independent predictor of OVCRFs.