The Osteoporotic Fracture Classification-based Scoring System for Treatment Decision in Thoracolumbar Osteoporotic Fractures

This is an international multicenter prospective observational study. Patients with radiologically confirmed, symptomatic, single- or multilevel contiguous TL (from T1 to L5) fractures as a result of primary osteoporosis will be recruited from participating clinics/hospitals (ie, study sites). Fractures included are insufficiency fractures (confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and traumatic fractures (low-energy trauma, confirmed by computed tomography [CT] or MRI).

This is an international multicenter prospective observational study. Postmenopausal women ≥ 50 years old and men > 60 years old with radiologically confirmed, symptomatic, single- or multilevel contiguous TL (from T1 to L5) fractures as a result of primary osteoporosis will be recruited from participating clinics/hospitals (ie, study sites). Fractures included are insufficiency fractures (confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and traumatic fractures (low-energy trauma, confirmed by computed tomography [CT] or MRI).

All osteoporotic TL fractures will be classified using the OF classification system (OF 1 to OF 5). Only the most severe fracture will be used to calculate the OF score. The OF score will be subsequently calculated to aid the surgeons' decision making on the initial treatment plan, which is categorized as either nonsurgical or surgical treatment.

To address the primary study objective, depending on whether the treating surgeons' eventual initial treatment decisions agree with the OF score recommendations, patients will be divided into two groups: 1) patients whose initial treatment is in accordance with the OF score recommendations (the Accordance group), and 2) patients whose initial treatment is in discordance with the OF score recommendations (the Discordance group). Accordance refers to 1) when the OF score is > 6, surgical treatment is prescribed by the treating surgeons, 2) when the OF score is < 6, nonsurgical treatment only is prescribed by the treating surgeons, and 3) when the OF score is 6, either surgical or nonsurgical treatment is prescribed (Note: any surgeons' decision is deemed in accordance with the OF score as the system leaves the decision to the surgeons' discretion in this situation).

Accordance/Discordance group assignment is based on the agreement/discrepancy between the eventual treatment and the recommendations from the OF score that is obtained up to Day 0, although OF scores may be calculated at follow-ups (FUs) for subsequent treatment decision making (eg, whether the treatment plan needs to be modified).

Depending on the actual initial treatment assigned to the patients by the treating surgeons, patients will be divided into two groups: 1) patients assigned to receive nonsurgical treatment (the Nonsurgical group), and 2) patients assigned to receive surgery (the Surgical group).

Day 0 refers to the day when the initial treatment is decided and starts (categorized as nonsurgical or surgical treatment). Subsequent FUs will be calculated in reference to Day 0. Patients will be followed up clinically at discharge, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months.

The primary outcome of the study is the return to the mobility level before the injury or symptom onset (as reported by the patient). The FU period for the primary endpoint of the study is 3 months (short-term), and 12 months for the secondary endpoints (long-term).