Prevalence of vertebral compression fractures and associated factors in children and adolescents with severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: Vertebral fractures occur in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but data on their frequency and causes are scarce. Our cross-sectional study evaluated prevalence of compression fractures and associated factors in a high-risk pediatric population with severe JIA.

Methods: Children and adolescents with a history of treatment-resistant polyarticular-course JIA for ≥ 5 years or systemic arthritis for ≥ 3 years were recruited.