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Incidence of vertebral fractures in the first three months after orthotopic liver transplantation

Background and objectives High rates of bone loss and increased fracture incidence have been reported in patients undergoing liver transplantation, mainly within the first post‐operative year. The pathogenesis of post‐transplantation bone disease has not been clearly established, but the high doses of glucocorticoids used for immunosuppression may contribute. The use of lower doses in recent years has been associated, in some studies, with lower rates of bone loss and decreased fracture incidence. The aim of this prospective study was to establish the incidence of vertebral fractures in the first 3 months in patients undergoing liver transplantation for chronic liver disease and to identify risk factors for fracture in these patients. Design and methods Thirty‐seven adults with end‐stage liver disease were studied prospectively prior to and 3 months after liver transplantation. Vertebral fractures were assessed semi‐quantitatively from lateral spine X‐rays and bone mineral density measured using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Results Prior to transplantation, prevalent vertebral fractures were present in 13 patients (35%). New fractures developed after transplantation in 10 patients (27% of total) and were significantly more common in those with a prevalent vertebral fracture pre‐operatively (P < 0.02). Osteoporosis, defined as a bone mineral density T score below ‐2.5, was present in 39% of patients prior to transplantation, but bone mineral density was not helpful in predicting incident fracture, whether measured before or after transplantation. Over the 3‐month study period, significant bone loss occurred in the femoral neck (P < 0.05) but not the lumbar spine. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a high incidence of vertebral fracture in the first 3 months after liver transplantation and indicate that prevalent vertebral fracture is an important risk factor for the subsequent development of fracture in these patients. Prevention of post‐transplantation bone disease should focus both on optimizing bone mass prior to transplantation and preventing bone loss in the early post‐operative period. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12:931‐935