The Nottingham Spinal Health (NoSH) Study: a cohort study of patients hospitalised with vertebral fragility fractures

Ong, T.; Sahota, O.; Gladman, J. R. F.

Abstract

© 2019, The Author(s). Summary: Patients hospitalised with vertebral fragility fractures were elderly, multimorbid and frail and lead to poor outcomes. Their hospital treatment needs to consider this alongside their acute fracture. A systematic organised model of care, such as an adaptation of orthogeriatric hip fracture care, will offer a more holistic approach potentially improving their outcomes. Purpose: Patients admitted to hospital with vertebral fragility fractures are elderly and have complex care needs who may benefit from specialist multidisciplinary input. To date, their characteristics and outcomes have not been reported sufficiently. This study aims to justify such a service. Methods: Patients admitted with an acute vertebral fragility fracture over 12 months were prospectively recruited from a university hospital in England. Data were collected soon after their admission, at discharge from hospital and 6 months after their hospital discharge on their characteristics, pain, physical functioning, and clinical outcomes. Results: Data from 90 participants were analysed. They were mainly elderly (mean age 79.7 years), multimorbid (69% had ≥ 3 comorbid condition), frail (56% had a Clinical Frailty Scale score ≥ 5), cognitively impaired (54% had a MoCA score of < 23) and at high risk of falls (65% had fallen ≥ 2 in the previous year). Eighteen percent died at 6 months. At 6 months post-hospital discharge, 12% required a new care home admission, 37% still reported their pain to be severe and physical functioning was worse compared with their preadmission state. Conclusion: Patients hospitalised with vertebral fragility fractures were elderly, multimorbid, frail and are susceptible to persistent pain and disability. Their treatment in hospital needs to consider this alongside their acute fracture. A systematic organised model of care, such as an adaptation of orthogeriatric hip fracture care, will offer a more holistic approach potentially improving their outcomes.

Citation

Ong, T., Sahota, O., & Gladman, J. R. F. (2020). The Nottingham Spinal Health (NoSH) Study: a cohort study of patients hospitalised with vertebral fragility fractures. Osteoporosis International, 31(2), 363–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-019-05198-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 5, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 6, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Deposit Date: Nov 9, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 11, 2019
• Journal: Osteoporosis International
• Print ISSN: 0937-941X
• Electronic ISSN: 1433-2965
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 363–370
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-019-05198-x
• Keywords: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3120287
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00198-019-05198-x
• Additional Information: Received: 16 July 2019; Accepted: 15 October 2019; First Online: 6 November 2019; : ; : The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest; : The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
• Contract Date: Nov 11, 2019