[Features of vertebral pain syndromes in older women depending on the duration of postmenopausal period and bone mineral density indices].

We have analyzed the vertebral pain syndrome (VPS) rate in 2 844 women aged 40-89 years, divided into groups according to the period of life (reproductive, perimenopausal and postmenopausal (PMP)) and evaluated the relationship between VPS frequency and indices of bone mineral density (BMD). It was found that the frequency of VPS during different physiological periods of woman life ranges from 84,1 to 94,4 %, with significant increase when the PMP period is more than 20 years compared with women in reproductive and early postmenopausal periods. The significant increase of the VPS frequency in thoracic and lumbar spines starts from 1-3 years of PMP and is retained at higher level for all subsequent periods of PMP. In postmenopausal women, a significant increase of the relative risk of VPS in the thoracic (in 1,3-1,4 times) and the lumbar (1,2-1,3 times) spines was found. In patients with osteoporosis with duration of PMP for 1-3 years, the frequency of VPS in thoracic spine was significantly higher than the indices in women with osteopenia, while patients with duration of PMP of 7-9 years had significantly higher frequency comparing to groups with osteopenia and norms. In patients without vertebral fractures and osteoporosis VPS frequency in the thoracic spine was significantly higher during periods of 4-6 and 7-9 years of PMP compared with women in reproductive period and compared with the women with normal BMD indices. The revealed features of the VPS should be considered while planning therapeutic interventions in women of older age groups.