Sarah Rudkin
Head of Research Strategy and Growth, Versus Arthritis
A new tool is being developed to assist healthcare professionals in exploring back pain and spotting vertebral fractures in people with osteoporosis, which may have otherwise been missed.
It is estimated that 10 million people have back pain, which costs the UK economy billions of pounds each year (Versus Arthritis The State of MSK Health 2021). We are currently starved of the diagnostic tests needed for early detection, prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis.
Versus Arthritis funds research that will bring us closer to making MSK conditions preventable, treatable and ultimately curable. Recently, we prioritised investment in pain research, making a significant investment in the £24 million funding collaboration supporting the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform to drive step changes in the understanding and treatment of chronic pain across a wide range of conditions.
Osteoporosis is a common condition in which the structure of bones becomes more spongy and less strong. Anyone can get osteoporosis, but risk increases with age and women are about four times more likely than men to develop it.
Bone is a living tissue that is constantly renewing itself. Old bone tissue is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and is replaced by new bone material produced by cells called osteoblasts.
Osteoporotic vertebral fractures (broken bones in the back due to osteoporosis) are particularly important because they increase the chances of more fractures.
Anyone can get osteoporosis, but risk increases with age and women are about four times more likely than men to develop it.
Improving diagnosis
To help diagnosis of osteoporosis, researchers funded by Versus Arthritis, led by Emma Clark at the University of Bristol, have developed the Vfrac tool.
This tool consists of a checklist in a smartphone app which includes asking questions about the type of back pain the person is experiencing. It is designed to help doctors decide who needs to be referred for an X-ray. The app has been shown to improve the diagnosis of vertebral fractures, by helping medical professionals to make referral decisions based on how people are experiencing back pain.
Research findings
In newly published work, researchers tested the 15-question checklist in a group of women with back pain, some who have vertebral fracture and some who don’t.
They found that nearly all people with more than one vertebral fracture are diagnosed correctly using the Vfrac tool, and two-thirds of those with one fracture. This is a significant improvement compared to usual care.
Being able to now test this tool in a clinical setting brings us a huge step closer to supporting quicker diagnoses, and ultimately better targeted treatments for people with osteoporosis.
This article was originally published on the Versus Arthritis website
