Time Course of Acute Vertebral Fractures: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

To date, it is still unclear how fresh osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) affect the patient's quality of life and low back pain during a follow-up period of more than 1 year. In the previous trial, women with fresh OVF were randomized to rigid or soft brace for 12 weeks, then both groups were followed for the subsequent 48 weeks. In women completing this trial at our affiliated hospitals, we conducted a follow-up study to investigate the long-term course of an acute vertebral fracture in terms of pain and quality of life. When comparing visual analog scale scores for low back pain and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions Questionnaire scores between consecutive time points, a significant difference was found between 0 and 12 weeks, but not between 12 and 48 weeks or between 48 weeks and final follow-up. A total 25% had residual low back pain at the final follow-up. A stepwise logistic regression analysis identified age and previous vertebral fracture as predictors of residual low back pain at the final follow-up. Therefore, the degree of low back pain and impairment of the quality of life improved by 12 weeks after injury and did not change thereafter until a mean follow-up of 5.3 years.