At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Health checks and monitoring — no treatment given
- Type of study
- Observational (no treatment given)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) (procedure)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 57 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) — procedure: * Any other type of solely vertebral augmentation (stents, etc.), specify * Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) * Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) with kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty * Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) with screw augmentation * Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) with screw augmentation and kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty * Posterior stabilization (pedicle screws) with vertebral osteotomy (pedicle subtraction osteotomy or similar) * Combined posterior and anterior stabilization
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
In plain English
This study looks at broken bones in the spine caused by osteoporosis (weak bones), in the area from the upper back down to the lower back. It uses a scoring system called the OF Classification, which grades these fractures from OF 1 (least severe) to OF 5 (most severe), to help decide on treatment. The study is sponsored by the AO Foundation and AO Spine.
Who can take part
- Women aged 50 or over who have been through the menopause (no periods for one full year), or men over 60
- A newly diagnosed, painful break in one or more neighbouring bones of the spine between the upper back (T1) and lower back (L5), confirmed by a scan (MRI, or CT for a break caused by minor injury)
- The break is caused by primary osteoporosis — weak bones not caused by another condition or long-term steroid use. This is shown by a bone density T-score of -2.5 or lower in the spine, hip, or wrist, or by having a break from a minor cause such as a slip, trip, small fall, or heavy lifting
- The break can be graded from OF 1 to OF 5 using the study's classification system
- Being able to give informed consent to take part
Who may not be able to
- Spinal tumours or signs of spinal infection
- A break in the neck (cervical) part of the spine at the same time
- Breaks from high-energy accidents, such as falls from double body height or more, or serious car crashes
- Other breaks at the same time (pelvis, arms, or legs) that could affect mobility or pain measurements
- Previous metalwork (instrumented surgery) in the affected part of the spine, or a break next to previous metalwork
- Being unable to attend follow-up visits, or having a mental health condition that makes following the study difficult
- Being bedridden before the spinal break
- Recent recreational drug or alcohol misuse that would affect reliable assessments
- Taking part in another study of a device or medicine in the past month
What taking part involves
- • Not stated — ask the trial team
- • The spinal break is graded using the OF Classification (OF 1 to OF 5) as part of the study
Time commitment: Not stated — ask the trial team about how many visits, how long the study lasts, and what taking part involves.
Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.
- Type of study
- Observing health over time
- Ages
- 50 Years and over
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 648
- Started
- 2026-03-19
- Last checked
- 2026-05
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for osteoporotic fractures
- • Clinical study - 648 participants
- • This is an international multicenter prospective observational study
Who can take part?
- • Ages 50 Years and over
- • Diagnosed with osteoporotic fractures
Where?
- • London - King's College Hospital
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
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).
More detail
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).
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: 50 Years and over
- Who can join: All genders
What the study is looking for
- ✓Postmenopausal women ≥ 50 years old or men \> 60 years old
- ✓o Menopause refers to amenorrhea for 1 complete year.
- ✓Radiologically confirmed new diagnosis of causing symptoms, single or multilevel TL (from T1 to L5) fractures, ie, the...
- ✓In case of a multilevel fracture, the fracture must be contiguous.
- ✓The index fracture is confirmed by MRI as an insufficiency (or fragility) fracture or is confirmed by CT or MRI as...
Who cannot take part
- ✗Patients with spinal tumors
- ✗Patients with concomitant cervical fractures
- ✗Patients showing any signs of spinal infections
- ✗Patients with concomitant fracture in the pelvis, upper extremities, and/or lower extremities which could affect the...
- ✗Patients for whom no FUs are possible
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (1 UK site)
King's College Hospital
London SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
How to Get in Touch
Felix Thomas Thomas, PhD
Sponsor contactCONTACT
Maria C Medina Giner
Sponsor contactCONTACT
