[Correlative analysis of degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis]

To investigate the correlation between degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis in adults.

From March 2012 to June 2016, the clinical data of 53 patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were retrospectively analyzed for a correlation study between degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis. Fifty-three patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were selected as observation group and another 53 inpatients without lumbar scoliosis as control group. There were 11 males and 42 females with an average age of 69 years (range 63 to 76 years) old in observation group. And in control group, there were 16 males and 37 females with an average age of 68.5 years (range 59 to 74 years) old, including lumbar disc herniation in 33 cases, lumbar spinal stenosis in 13 cases, spondylolisthesis in 7 cases. The 53 patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were confirmed by X-ray and MRI, their Cobb angle of lumbar scoliosis was measured. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the bone mineral density, the T values of L₂-L₄ segments, femoral neck, Ward triangle and femoral trochanter were recorded. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between osteoporosis and degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

There were significant differences in the bone mineral density T values between two groups (P<0.05). Bone mineral density T value in patients with lumbar scoliosis were significantly higher than that in the patients with no lumbar scoliosis (P<0.05), (-2.56±0.65 vs -1.39±0.77). The T values of L₂-L₄ segments, femoral neck, Ward triangle and femoral trochanter had no remarkable correlation with Cobb's angles.

Osteoporosis is a risk factor for degenerative scoliosis, but the severity of osteoporosis and degree of scoliosis has no obvious correlation.