Background Presence of vertebral body deformities is considered a relevant issue in order to chose a particular treatment in patients with osteoporosis. However, only remarcable deformities are properly identified and registred while those, less striking can just be unnoticed in radiological studies not related to osteporosis studies. One of the most usual radiographic study of the axial skeleton is the lumbar and dorsal acute pain. This group of patients is, indeed, suitable stablish proportions of any grade of vertebral body deformities according to the Genant scale.

Objectives The goal of present study is to determine prevalence of vertebral body deformities in postmenopausial patients radiologically assessed due to lumbar or dorsal non traumatic related pain.

Methods We performed a simple randomization of the registries of female patients with 65 years old or more who consulted due to dorsal or lumbar non-traumatic acute pain, between 2014 and 2015. All included registries must had a radiological assessment. The gathering of registries concluded after reach 120% of the estimated sample size for a non finite theoretical population, a precision of 3% and a hypothetical estimated prevalence of 7% based on local previous studies of prevalence of vertebral osteoporotic fractures. Vertebral body measures were performed according to Genant scale recommendations from D7 to L5 as far as possible according to the field of study of the radiological chart plate.

Results 275 randomized registries of dorsal and lumbar pain were included (total=550). Among patients with dorsal pain we identified 62 (22.5%), 30 (10.9%) and 18 (6.5%) vertebral deformities grade I, II and III respectively. Among patients with lumbar pain we identified 31 (11.2%), 49 (17.8%) and 33 (12%) vertebral deformities grade I, II and III respectively. Prevalence of any grade of dorsal vertebral deformity was 40.00% (CI 34.39 – 45.89) and lumbar was 41.09% (CI 95% 35.44 – 46.99). Lumbar vertebral body deformities grade I and II summed 70.7% while dorsal grade I and II summed 83.6%. From the 93 vertebral body deformities grade I, 6.4% were recognized in their clinical histories, 20.2% of the grade II deformities and 92.1% of the grade III deformities, (P<0.001).

Conclusions Although our population sample is circumscribed to symptomatic patients, our results contribute with prevalence of vertebral body deformities in postmenopausal patients grade I and II and who were mostly unnoticed. Proper identification of vertebral body deformities in patients with osteoporosis is crucial to decide treatment strategies in patients with known osteoporosis. Due to that, prevalence studies of this kind are relevant and useful to avoid diagnostic mistakes.

Disclosure of Interest None declared