Bone mineral density is not associated with incident high-intensity back pain: a 10-year cohort study in men.

Although patients believe that osteoporosis is a painful condition, health professionals assume it is painless unless a fracture occurs. The association between BMD and back pain has not been examined longitudinally in community-based adults in an unbiased population using gold-standard measures. This study aimed to examine the association between BMD and incident high-intensity back pain and/or high disability over 10 years in Australian men without high-intensity symptoms at baseline. Men with no high-intensity back pain and/or high disability attending the Geelong Osteoporosis Study at the 5-year visit (occurring between 2006-2010) (considered the baseline for the current study) were followed for 10 years (reassessed between 2016-2021). Back pain and disability were assessed using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale at both time points. At baseline, DXA was used to measure lumbar spine and total hip BMD and spinal artefacts. The relationships between BMD and incident high-intensity pain and/or high disability at follow-up were examined using binary logistic regression, adjusted for age, body mass index, depression, education, smoking, mobility, and spinal artefacts. A total of 679 participants had no to low-intensity pain and/or no to low disability at baseline. A total of 441 attended follow-up, providing back pain and disability data. Thirty-seven men developed high-intensity pain and/or high disability. No association of BMD at any site was seen with incident high-intensity pain and/or high disability. BMD was not associated with incident high-intensity pain or disability in community-based men. These data provide evidence to dispel the erroneous community-held belief that low BMD is related to back pain and disability.

Physical and lifestyle factors associated with trabecular bone score values.

TBS is associated with age, weight, childhood physical activity, and BMD in men and age, height, BMD, and mobility in women. INTRODUCTION: Trabecular bone score (TBS) indirectly assesses trabecular microarchitecture at the lumbar spine, providing complementary information to areal BMD. Many studies have investigated the relationships between BMD and lifestyle factors known to affect bone, but such research is limited for TBS. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between TBS and lifestyle factors in Australian men and women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 894 men and 682 women (ages 24-98 years) enrolled in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. TBS was assessed by analysis of lumbar spine DXA scans (Lunar Prodigy) using TBS iNsight software (Version 2.2). Bivariate and multivariable linear regression models were used to explore the associations between TBS and physical and lifestyle factors, including anthropometry, alcohol consumption, childhood physical activity, mobility, smoking status, prior low trauma fracture, medication use, and intakes of calcium and vitamin D. RESULTS: In bivariate regression modelling, low mobility and the use of antiresorptive medication were associated with lower TBS in both men and women. Low childhood physical activity was also associated with lower TBS in men. Prior fracture, use of glucocorticosteroids, and total calcium intake were also associated with lower TBS in women. The final adjusted model for men included age, weight, childhood physical activity, and BMD, and for women, age, height, BMD, and mobility. No interaction terms were identified in the models. CONCLUSIONS: Lower TBS is associated with older age, increased weight, low childhood physical activity, and lower BMD in men and older age, shorter stature, lower BMD, and low mobility in women.

Bone material strength index is associated with prior fracture in men with and without moderate chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk for fracture. The ability of bone mineral density (BMD) to predict fractures in CKD patients has been inconsistent. Other measures such as trabecular bone score (TBS) and impact microindentation (IMI) may be more useful in this group. This study aimed to determine if TBS or IMI values differed between men with and without CKD and examine associations between prior fracture, TBS and IMI values. METHODS: Men (n = 343, age 33-96 yr) from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were included. Femoral neck (FNBMD) and lumbar spine BMD (LSBMD) were measured using DXA (Lunar ProdigyPro). TBS was determined from lumbar spine scans (TBS iNsight software Version 2.2). IMI values (bone material strength index; BMSi) were measured using an OsteoProbe. CKD was defined as an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m2 (n = 53). Prior low trauma fractures (n = 37) were ascertained from radiological reports. Associations were examined using binary logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Interaction terms were tested in all models. RESULTS: Men with CKD tended to have a higher likelihood of prior fracture (adjusted OR 2.27, 95%CI 1.02-5.01). Higher BMSi was associated with a lower likelihood of prior fracture (adjusted OR for 1SD increase: 0.70; 95%CI 0.51-0.97). This association was sustained after adjustment for FNBMD (OR 0.68; 95%CI 0.49-0.96) or LSBMD (OR 0.69; 95%CI 0.49-0.95). No interaction was detected between BMSi and CKD (p = 0.898). No associations were detected between FNBMD, LSBMD or TBS and prior fracture in either population and there were no interactions with CKD for FNBMD, LSBMD or TBS. CONCLUSIONS: BMSi was associated with prior fracture in men with and without CKD, however, FNBMD, LSBMD and TBS were not. Lack of an interaction term suggests that BMSi performed similarly in identifying the likelihood of prior fracture, regardless of CKD status. IMI may have clinical utility for assessing fracture risk in patients with CKD.