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Quantitative analysis of modified functional muscle–bone unit and back muscle density in patients with lumbar vertebral fracture in Chinese elderly men: a case–control study

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Abstract

Objectives

Bone mineral density (BMD) is associated with muscle mass and quality, but little research has been done on functional muscle–bone unit and back muscle density in patients with lumbar vertebral fracture. This study used the “modified functional muscle–bone unit” concept and measured back muscle density to investigate muscle–bone interaction difference between the fracture and control group.

Methods

This was a case–control study. A total of 52 elderly male patients (mean age 75 years) with lumbar vertebral fracture (cases) and 52 control healthy subjects were enrolled. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and density of paravertebral muscle were measured in quantitative computed tomography (QCT) images to represent the muscle mass, while the bone mineral density measured by QCT was used to represent the bone mass. The modified functional muscle–bone unit was calculated as the value of volumetric BMD divided by muscle area.

Results

People with vertebral fractures reported significantly lower values in the cross-sectional area and density of paravertebral muscle compared to control group. In the multivariate analysis, BMD (odds ratio, OR = 0.929; 95% confidence intervals, CIs 0.888–0.971), erector muscle density (OR = 0.698; 95% CI 0.547–0.892), and summated muscle CSA (OR = 0.963; 95% CI 0.93–0.991) were independent protective factors for the presence of a fracture. BMD resulted significantly and moderately associated with cross-sectional area and density of paravertebral muscle (r = 0.329–0.396).

Conclusions

There were significant differences between the modified functional muscle–bone unit and back muscle density between the fracture group and control group in elderly men. Lower BMD, loss of muscle mass and density are associated with increased presence of the lumbar vertebral fracture.

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Funding

This study was funded by research grant from the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau (No. 2009-2-03).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, 100035, China

    Yong Zhang, Yangyang Duanmu, Chenxin Zhang, Wei Zhao, Ling Wang & Xiaoguang Cheng

  2. School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China

    Jin Guo

  3. National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Aging Branch, Padua, Italy

    Nicola Veronese

  4. Department of Radiology, University of Foggia, Viale Luigi Pinto 1, 71100, Foggia, Italy

    Francesco Pio Cafarelli & Giuseppe Guglielmi

  5. Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza” Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

Authors
  1. Yong Zhang
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  2. Jin Guo
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  3. Yangyang Duanmu
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  4. Chenxin Zhang
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  5. Wei Zhao
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  6. Ling Wang
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  7. Xiaoguang Cheng
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  8. Nicola Veronese
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  9. Francesco Pio Cafarelli
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  10. Giuseppe Guglielmi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giuseppe Guglielmi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Zhang, Y., Guo, J., Duanmu, Y. et al. Quantitative analysis of modified functional muscle–bone unit and back muscle density in patients with lumbar vertebral fracture in Chinese elderly men: a case–control study. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 637–644 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1024-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1024-8

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