Endocrine Abstracts

Vertebral morphometric X-ray absorptiometry (MXA) is a new tool developed to evaluate the presence of vertebral fractures – main symptoms of osteoporosis. The study aimed at comparing selected morphometric parameters of vertebrae in men and women in various age groups. 965 healthy persons have been involved in the study: 616 female and 349 male, their age ranging from 18 to 79 years. Lateral densitometric scans of the thoracic-lumbar spine were made using Expert-XL densitometer. T4–L4 vertebrae were demonstrated.

Results: The analysis comprised 9675 vertebrae. While assessing the influence of patient age, statistically significant higher values of Ha, Hc and Hp were found in the younger age groups. For Th5, Th6 and Th7 vertebrae – higher Ha/Hp and Hc/Hp values were observed and in case Th8, Th9, Th10, Th11, Th12, L2 and L3, only Hc/Hp was increased. In L1 and L4 vertebrae, no differences were identified between Ha/Hp and Hc/Hp values with regards to the age of the patients. In men, statistically significantly higher values of Ha, Hc and Hp were found in comparison with the group of women. In women, statistically significantly higher values of the Ha/Hp ratio in Th5-Th6 vertebrae were observed, when compared with the male group, higher values of the Hc/Hp ration in Th12, L2 and L3 vertebrae, while in Th7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and L1, both the Ha/Hp ratio and the Hc/Hp ratio demonstrated elevated values.

Conclusion: Morphometric parameters of the vertebrae vary, depending on sex and age of patients, what is to be considered, when designing reference groups.