Assessment of the Risk of Vertebral Fracture by Measuring Bone Mineral Density

Abstract

In 161 persons (over 70 years old) with complaining of lumbago, bone mineral density (BMD) was meaured at the lumbar spine by DEXA (QDR 1000).
In 87 cases-54% (8 men-23.5% and 79 women-62.2%) X-ray findings of lumbar and thoracic spines showed at least one vertebral fracture due to osteoporosis.
We concluded that when BMD decreased to less than 0.7g/cm², the risk of osteoporotic vertebral fractures escalates rapidly.