Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39932650›Full record

ArticleJournal of endocrinological investigation2025

Morphometric vertebral fractures at hospitalization associate with Long COVID occurrence.

Luigi di Filippo, Mauro Doga, Francesca Mangini, Licia Gifuni, Seynt Jiro Sahagun, Patrizia Rovere Querini, Clifford J Rosen, Andrea Giustina

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Luigi di FilippoInstitute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
Mauro DogaInstitute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
Francesca ManginiInstitute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
Licia GifuniInstitute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
Seynt Jiro SahagunCenter for Clinical and Translational Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Scarborough, USA.
Patrizia Rovere QueriniDivision of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
Clifford J RosenCenter for Clinical and Translational Research, MaineHealth Institute for Research, Scarborough, USA.
Andrea GiustinaInstitute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy. giustina.andrea@hsr.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6783-3398

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLong COVID is a multisystemic syndrome leading to significant morbidity. To date, a comprehensive characterization of underlying risk factors is still being defined. Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures (VFs) were associated with worse acute COVID-19 and impaired respiratory recovery after hospitalization. Therefore, we aimed to assess the potential relationship between VFs and the occurrence of the Long COVID syndrome.

methodsPatients hospitalized for acute COVID-19 and subsequently seen in our outpatient follow-up clinic 6-months after discharge were evaluated. We retrospectively included patients with available lateral chest X-rays performed at admission suitable for VFs assessments. We excluded patients with active neoplasia, and those managed at home or those hospitalized in ICU. Long COVID was diagnosed with a multidisciplinary evaluation.

resultsOne-hundred sixty-two patients were included in the study. At least one VF was found in 42 patients at presentation (25.9%). Patients with VFs were significantly older and predominantly males. Long COVID was diagnosed in 25 patients (15.4%). No differences were found between patients with and without Long COVID regarding demographics and comorbidities; however, those with Long COVID were characterized by a higher prevalence of VFs at time of hospitalization for acute COVID-19 (48% vs. 22%, p = 0.01). After matching patients with and without VFs in a 1:1 ratio for demographics, comorbidities, and COVID-19 severity, a total of 84 patients were analysed and those presenting VFs were characterized by a significant higher prevalence of Long COVID (28.6% vs. 9.5%, p = 0.04) and VFs resulted as the only significant independent risk factor for Long COVID occurrence.

conclusionsWe observed that prevalent VFs detected at hospital admission were distinctive clinical features of patients presenting with Long COVID 6-months after discharge, independently from acute disease severity and other confounding factors. This highlights a potential detrimental association between skeletal fragility and the development of Long COVID.

Indexed as

COVID-19HospitalizationSpinal FracturesAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromePrevalenceRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Long COVIDOsteoporosisSARS-CoV-2Vertebral fracturesVitamin D

Identifiers

PMID39932650

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.