[Prevalence of Vertebral Fractures and Risk Factors in Women over 60 Years of Age in Chapecó, Santa Catarina State, Brazil]

Fractures are the main problems related to bone fragility in postmenopausal women and account for the increase in the risk of new fractures, mortality, and costs. This study's objective was to verify the occurrence of vertebral fragility fracture and correlate it with demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors in a Brazilian population. The cross-sectional study was based on a random sample of elderly women living in Chapecó, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The sample consisted of 186 white women over 60 years of age. Of these, 48.9% had asymptomatic vertebral fractures, with higher prevalence in T11-12 and L4-5. Adjusted analysis showed a gradient between age and vertebral fracture, while fracture prevalence was 2.3 times higher in women over 80 years. Fracture prevalence was 1.44 times higher in sedentary as compared to non-sedentary women. Due to the high prevalence of asymptomatic vertebral fractures, the authors suggest the use of spinal x-rays in elderly women for fracture screening and prevention.