The hidden fracture: a retrospective study of fragility vertebral fracture in patients with hip fracture.

Cohort studyArchives of osteoporosis· Aug 2026

The hidden fracture: a retrospective study of fragility vertebral fracture in patients with hip fracture.

Inês Genrinho, Cátia Machado, Alina Humenyuk … Anabela Barcelos

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Musculoskeletal ImagingCohort studyClinical practiceQ2IF 2.4

Only 11.6% of hip fracture patients had a prior vertebral fracture diagnosis recorded.

The hidden fracture: a retrospective study of fragility vertebral fracture in patients with hip fracture.

Inês Genrinho … Anabela Barcelos

Archives of osteoporosis · Aug 2026

Background

UNLABELLED: Vertebral fragility fractures (vertebral fragility fractures) are underdiagnosed despite increasing future fracture risk.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, location, type, and severity of previous vertebral fragility fractures in patients presenting with hip fragility fractures.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of patients aged ≥ 50 years with hip fragility fractures admitted to our FLS between 2019 and 2023.

n = 357 patients

Results

Just 11.6% of patients had a documented prior vertebral fracture diagnosis before their hip fracture.

Radiological VFFs

28%

Prior diagnosis

11.6%

More results

The mean age was 80.9 ± 9.1 years, and 84.0% were women.

The lumbar (41.9%) and thoracic spine (31.4%) were the most frequently affected regions.

Patients with vertebral fragility fractures were significantly older (p = 0.007) and had higher FRAX scores (p < 0.001).

More results

The odds of having vertebral fragility fractures were 2.17 and 2.07 times higher in patients with previous fractures and in those receiving antidepressant therapy, respectively.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Over one-fourth of patients with hip fractures have previous vertebral fragility fractures, though only a small portion have been officially diagnosed.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings underscore the high prevalence and frequent under-recognition of vertebral fragility fractures.

The hidden fracture: a retrospective study of fragility vertebral fracture in patients with hip fracture.

The hidden fracture: a retrospective study of fragility vertebral fracture in patients with hip fracture.

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