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Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: Increased post-facture mortality, particularly in males
Andreas K Andresen1,2, Jacob Stampe Frølich3, Leah Y Carreon1,2
1Center for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark.
Introduction:
With the on-going demographic shift towards older populations, osteoporosis is an increasing public health issue. Mortality rates after a hip fracture in the elderly have been extensively studied and reported. However, similar information has not been reported after an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).
Research Question:
What is the mortality rate after a hospital diagnosed OVCF stratified by sex?
Materials And Methods:
Using data from the Danish National Health registry, individuals with OVCFs between January 2010 and December 2023 were identified and matched 1:5 with a Control group without OVCF on age, gender, and municipality. Differences in mortality rates at intervals from 30 days to 3 years were calculated and compared for OVCF cases and Controls. A similar analysis was used to explore sex differences for individuals with OVCF.
Results:
A total of 37,948 patients with OVCF, 12,693 males and 25,255 females were matched with 63,243 and 123,477 Controls, respectively. Individuals with OVCF had statistically significantly higher mortality rates than Controls. Mortality among individuals with OVCF was statistically significantly higher for males than for females.
Discussion And Conclusions:
A significantly higher mortality rate among patients with OVCFs compared to non-fracture controls was seen. OVCFs in males were associated with an almost two-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to females. Increased awareness of osteoporosis in the male population and related morbidity should be further addressed in research and clinical practice.
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