Global, regional, and national burden of fracture of vertebral column, 1990–2021: analysis of data from the global burden of disease study 2021

Background: Fractures of the vertebral column, encompassing various spinal injuries, represent a significant public health burden worldwide. These injuries can lead to long-term disability, reduced quality of life, and substantial healthcare costs. Methods: We utilized comprehensive data sources from the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx). The study employed the incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) metric to quantify the burden. First, numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, prevalence, and YLDs were assessed globally and by sub-types including sex, age, socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) regions, and countries in 2021. Furthermore, the temporal trend of the disease burden was explored by the linear regression model from 1990 to 2021. The cluster analysis was used to evaluate the changing pattern of related disease burden across GBD regions. Finally, the age-period-cohort (APC) model were used to predict the future disease burden in the next 25 years. Results: Exposure to fracture of vertebral column contributed to 7,497,446 incidence, 5,371,438 prevalence, and 545,923 YLDs globally in 2021. The disease burden was higher in males than in females. And it was higher in older adults. High SDI regions were high-risk areas. From 1990 to 2021, the number of cases showed the increasing trend, and the ASRs showed the decreasing trend. The predicted results showed that the number of cases for both genders would still increase from 2022 to 2046. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the substantial and growing global burden of vertebral column fractures, with significant variations across regions and countries. Targeted interventions to address modifiable risk factors, such as osteoporosis and falls, are essential to mitigate the burden.