Vertebral fractures are the most common fracture among older adults, and associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and significant healthcare costs. We posit that current methods used to identify those at risk for vertebral fracture are inadequate because they consider only bone strength, but not spinal loading. Our objectives in this study are to validate our spine musculoskeletal model specifically in older men and women performing dynamic activities of daily living, and to test, in population-based cohorts, whether subject-specific estimates of spinal loading improve prediction of vertebral fractures. Thus, in this study we are collecting motion analysis data, and creating personalized musculoskeletal models, to understand spinal loading and muscle activity during activities of daily living. Moreover, we are evaluating factors that influence spinal loading, by applying our musculoskeletal modeling techniques in a large population-based cohort. This will allow us to take the first steps towards translating these biomechanical tools into ones that will be practical and useful in clinical practice.
This study is a collaboration with Mary L. Bouxsein, Ph.D. Bouxsein Lab
