The Spectrum of Recovery From Fracture‐Induced Vertebral Deformity in Pediatric Leukemia

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118

Osteoporotic fractures are a significant cause of morbidity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Our objective was to determine the incidence and predictors of fractures and recovery from osteoporosis in pediatric ALL over 6 years following glucocorticoid initiation. Vertebral fractures (VF) and vertebral body reshaping were assessed on annual spine radiographs, low-trauma non-VF were recorded at regular intervals and spine bone mineral density (BMD) was captured every 6 months for 4 years and then annually. A total of 186 children with ALL were enrolled (median age 5.3 years; range, 1.3 to 17.0 years). The cumulative fracture incidence was 32.5% for VF and 23.0% for non-VF; 39.0% of children with VF were asymptomatic. No fractures occurred in the sixth year and 71.3% of incident fractures occurred in the first 2 years. Baseline VF, cumulative glucocorticoid dose, and baseline lumbar spine (LS) BMD Z-score predicted both VF and non-VF. Vertebral body reshaping following VF was incomplete or absent in 22.7% of children. Those with residual vertebral deformity following VF were older compared to those without (median age 8.0 years at baseline [interquartile range {IQR}, 5.5 to 9.4] versus 4.8 years [IQR, 3.6 to 6.2], p = 0.04) and had more severe vertebral collapse (median maximum spinal deformity index 3.5 [IQR, 1.0 to 8.0] versus 0.5 [IQR, 0.0 to 1.0], p = 0.01). VF and low LS BMD Z-score at baseline as well as glucocorticoid exposure predicted incident VF and non-VF. Nearly 25% of children had persistent vertebral deformity following VF, more frequent in older children, and in those with more severe collapse. These results suggest the need for trials addressing interventions in the first 2 years of chemotherapy, targeting older children and children with more severe vertebral collapse, because these children are at greatest risk for incident VF and subsequent residual vertebral deformity. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 44%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bone Morbidity and Recovery in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results of a Six-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Ward¹,

Lang³

et al. 2018

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118

“…In childhood, fractures often heal and the affected vertebrae may reshape and regain their original or near‐original configuration, if the threat to bone health is transient and there remains sufficient residual growth potential to effect complete or partial reshaping (because reshaping appears to be a growth‐dependent phenomenon). Pediatric radiologists may thus be afforded an advantage in that they are often provided with a retrospective “audit” of their diagnostic acumen . For diagnosis the observer may have to rely on morphometric criteria because ossification of the centrum is centripetal from a central ossification center in the centrum with mineralization only reaching the vertebral endplates in adolescence .…”

Section: Vertebral Fractures In Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Radiology of Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures Revisited

Lentle¹,

Koromani

Brown³

et al. 2019

Until recently there has been little evidence available to validate any method by which to make an accurate diagnosis of an osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) from plain radiographs. In part this reflects a lack of a completely satisfactory “gold standard,” but primarily it relates to the absence of well‐designed prospective studies in this context. Historically, OVFs were recognized by evidence of macroscopic structural failure in vertebrae using the criteria applied elsewhere in the skeleton. This comprised altered alignment, fragmentation, cortical disruptions, and breaks, among other changes. However, these morphological criteria were replaced by vertebral morphometry, referring to the use of quantitative or quasi‐quantitative measurement tools for fracture diagnosis. Vertebral morphometry emerged as an understanding of and treatment for osteoporosis evolved, mainly in response to the need for expeditious assessments of large numbers of spine images for epidemiological and pharmaceutical purposes. Although most of the descriptions of such morphometric tools have stressed that they were not to be applied to clinical diagnosis with respect to individual patients, this constraint has been widely disregarded. Here we review the major attempts to develop a diagnostic strategy for OVF and describe their characteristics in adults and children. Recent evidence suggests that morphometric (quantitative; ie, based on measurement of dimensions and shape description) criteria are inferior to morphologic (qualitative; ie, based on structural integrity) vertebral damage assessment in identifying people with low bone density and at an increased risk of future fracture. Thus there is now an evidentiary basis for suggesting that morphological assessment is the preferred strategy for use in diagnosing OVF from radiographs. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

“…It is clinically relevant that both of these parameters, low BMD and back pain, have improved sensitivities for higher fracture grades and for increasing SDI values. Many VF will spontaneously heal due to modeling during subsequent growth, but grade 2 and grade 3 fractures are less likely to resolve; their detection may therefore serve as an indication for osteoporosis drug therapy …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Accuracy of Prevalent Vertebral Fracture Detection in Children Using Targeted Case-Finding Approaches

Siminoski

Wang

Alos

et al. 2019

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Due to concerns about cumulative radiation exposure in the pediatric population, it is not standard practice to perform spine radiographs in most conditions that predispose to vertebral fracture (VF). In this study we examined the accuracy of two clinical predictors, back pain and lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS BMD), to derive four case‐finding paradigms for detection of prevalent VF (PVF). Subjects were 400 children at risk for PVF (leukemia 186, rheumatic disorders 135, nephrotic syndrome 79). Back pain was assessed by patient report, LS BMD was measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and PVF were quantified on spine radiographs using the modified Genant semiquantitative method. Forty‐four patients (11.0%) had PVF. Logistic regression analysis between LS BMD and PVF produced an odds ratio (OR) of 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5 to 2.5) per reduction in Z‐score unit, an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.79), and an optimal BMD Z‐score cutoff of −1.6. Case identification using either low BMD alone (Z‐score < −1.6) or back pain alone gave similar results for sensitivity (55%, 52%, respectively), specificity (78%, 81%, respectively), positive predictive value (PPV; 24%, 25%, respectively), and negative predictive value (NPV; 93%, 93%, respectively). The paradigm using low BMD plus back pain produced lower sensitivity (32%), higher specificity (96%), higher PPV (47%), and similar NPV (92%). The approach using low BMD or back pain had the highest sensitivity (75%), lowest specificity (64%), lowest PPV (20%), and highest NPV (95%). All paradigms had increased sensitivities for higher fracture grades. Our results show that BMD and back pain history can be used to identify children with the highest risk of PVF so that radiography can be used judiciously. The specific paradigm to be applied will depend on the expected PVF rate and the clinical approach to the use of radiography. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.