Fractures in the vertebrae of the spine and calcification in a blood vessel called the abdominal aorta can be seen through the same spinal imaging test.
A new study was published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research that included 5,365 older men indicating that each of these measures is associated with a higher risk of developing hip and other fractures.
Researchers found that the inclusion of both measurements compared to the direct introduction of abdominal aortic dissection or direct spinal fracture improved the ability to predict which men which would be more prone to hip or other fractures in the future.
Both abdominal aortic aneurysms and common vertebral fractures can be detected simultaneously and rapidly on conventional radiographs or late spinal densities imaging, and this may aid in fracture risk assessment in older men with secondary some or both risk factors. “
John T. Schousboe, MD, PhD, Lead study author, University of Minnesota Institute of Clinic & HealthPartners and Park Nicollet