Vertebral mobility is a valuable indicator for predicting and determining bone union in osteoporotic vertebral...

Conservative treatments for osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) have not been standardized, and criteria for determining bone union have not been established. To determine bone union, we have adopted a cutoff value of 1.0 mm for vertebral mobility (V-mobility), defined as the difference in anterior vertebral height (Ha) between lateral radiographs taken in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing positions. The present study aimed to investigate the usefulness of V-mobility for determining bone union and predicting bone union at 6 months after OVF onset.

The study included 54 acute OVFs from T11 to L3 in 53 patients (12 males, 41 females; mean age 82 years; age range 55-97 years) who were hospitalized at ≤ 3 weeks after OVF onset. Vertebral deformity (V-deformity) and V-mobility were evaluated in accordance with Ha on lateral radiographs taken in the sitting position (SIT), lateral decubitus position (DEC), and supine position (SUP). OVFs showing V-mobility of ≤ 1.0 mm between SIT and DEC radiographs and no intravertebral cleft on DEC radiograph were defined as semi-union, while those showing V-mobility of ≤ 1.0 mm between SIT and SUP radiographs and no intravertebral cleft on SUP radiograph were defined as bone union. We calculated the bone union rates including semi-unions associated with V-mobility cutoff values of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm and estimated cutoff values for V-mobility at 5 weeks after OVF onset to predict bone union at 6 months after OVF onset.

The cumulative number of bone unions including semi-unions was more influenced by the different V-mobility cutoff values in Ha for determining bone union in the earlier period compared with the later period in the time course of OVF. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that V-mobility cutoff value of 2.1 mm in Ha between SIT and DEC radiographs at 5 weeks after OVF had moderate accuracy for predicting bone union including semi-union at 6 months after OVF. The mean V-deformity value on SIT radiographs did not progress significantly.

V-mobility in the early stage after OVF can predict bone union at 6 months after OVF and is a useful quantitative indicator for determining bone union.