The prevalence of vertebral fractures in spondyloarthritis: relation to disease characteristics, bone mineral density, syndesmophytes and history of back pain and trauma

Table 2 Basic characteristics of patients with spondyloarthritis without (n = 344) and with (n = 46) one or more radiographic vertebral fractures >25 %

Characteristics	Patients without VF	Patients with VF	p value^a
Characteristics	(n = 344)	(n = 46)	p value^a
Age, yr^b	47.3 ± 11.6	52.2 ± 13.1	<0.01
Symptom duration, yr^c	14.1 ± 10.4	18.5 ± 12.4	<0.01
Disease duration, yr^d	10.5 ± 9.6	12.5 ± 12.1	ns
ESR, mm/h	9.2 ± 10.7	8.0 ± 8.1	ns
CRP, mg/L	4.0 ± 6.5	2.9 ± 3.8	ns
BASDAI	4.3 ± 2.3	4.7 ± 2.2	ns
BASFI	5.0 ± 8.5	4.9 ± 2.9	ns
ASDAS-ESR	2.2 ± 1.0	2.4 ± 0.9	ns
ASDAS-CRP	2.2 ± 1.0	2.3 ± 1.0	ns
OWD	1.3 ± 4.2	2.5 ± 5.5	0.09
mSASSS
Cervical spine	3.4 ± 8.5	5.8 ± 13.2	0.10
Thoracic spine	9.8 ± 19.6	16.2 ± 25.1	<0.05
Lumbar spine	3.6 ± 7.6	6.0 ± 10.3	<0.07
Cervical + lumbar spine	7.0 ± 15.0	11.7 ± 21.6	0.06
Total spine	16.8 ± 32.8	27.9 ± 43.5	<0.05
T-score
Lumbar spine	0.25 ± 1.70	0.13 ± 1.50	ns
Femoral neck	−0.70 ± 1.06	−1.00 ± 0.97	<0.05
Total hip	−0.34 ± 1.09	−0.59 ± 1.04	ns

ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive protein, BASDAI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BASFI Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, ASDAS Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score, mSASSS modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score, TNF tumor necrosis factor, ns not statistically significant, VF vertebral fracture, OWD Occiput to wall distance
Characteristics of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) are represented as mean absolute number ± standard deviation
^aMeans of characteristics were compared between patients with SpA without and with VF using analysis of variance. p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
^bMean age ± standard deviation in years
^cMean symptom duration ± standard deviation in years; time since first symptoms
^dMean disease duration ± standard deviation in years; time since diagnosis

ISSN: 1478-6362