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Clinical predictors of incipient vertebral fractures and bone mineral density in kidney transplant patients

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Abstract

Purpose

Kidney transplant recipients are prone to metabolic bone diseases and consequent fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of incipient vertebral fractures, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and the clinical factors associated with incipient vertebral fractures in a group of kidney transplant patients.

Methods

Two hundred sixty-four patients (F/M 124/140, 45.3 ± 13 years) who had undergone kidney transplantation in tertiary care centers were included. Vertebral fractures were assessed semiquantitatively using conventional thoracolumbar lateral radiography in 202 of the patients.

Results

Vertebral fractures were observed in 56.4% (n = 114) of the study group. The frequency of osteoporosis was 20.0% (53 of 264 patients), and osteopenia was 35.6% (94 of 264 patients). Bone mineral density (BMD) levels were in the normal range in 40.3% (n = 46) of the subjects with vertebral fractures. It was in the osteoporotic range in 20.1% (n = 23) and the osteopenic range in 40.3% (n = 46). Vertebral fractures were associated with age, duration of hemodialysis, BMI, and femoral neck Z score (R2 37.8%, p = 0.027).

Conclusion

As incipient vertebral fractures can be observed in patients with normal BMD levels in kidney transplant recipients, conventional X-ray screening for vertebral fractures may be beneficial for a proper therapy decision of metabolic bone disease in kidney transplant recipients.

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Acknowledgements

This study did not receive any specific grants from any funding agencies in public, commercial, or not-for-profit sector.

Funding

This study did not receive specific grants from any funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Dilek Gogas Yavuz & Tugce Apaydin

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kartal Lutfi Kirdar Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Kadriye Aydin

  3. Department of Nephrology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Arzu Velioglu & Serhan Tuglular

  4. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istanbul Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Meral Mert

  5. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey

    Zafer Pekkolay

  6. Department of Nephrology, Kartal Lutfi Kirdar Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ergun Parmaksiz & Meral Mese

  7. Department of Nephrology, Istanbul Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ayse Esen Pazir

  8. Department of Nephrology, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakır, Turkey

    Emre Aydın

  9. Department of Radiology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Onur Bugdayci

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  1. Dilek Gogas Yavuz
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Correspondence to Tugce Apaydin.

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Author contribution statement

All authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, and/or acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data participated in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, and gave final approval of the version to be submitted.

Conflict of interest

Dilek Gogas Yavuz, Kadriye Aydin, Tugce Apaydın, Arzu Velioglu, Meral Mert, Zafer Pekkolay, Ergun Parmaksiz, Meral Mese, Ayse Esen Pazir, Emre Aydın, Onur Bugdayci, Serhan Tuglular declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Gogas Yavuz, D., Aydin, K., Apaydin, T. et al. Clinical predictors of incipient vertebral fractures and bone mineral density in kidney transplant patients. Eur Spine J 31, 2423–2430 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-022-07162-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-022-07162-6

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