The relationship between frailty and spinal alignment in the elderly general population: a two-year longitudinal study
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Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis
Published on: March 23, 2019
Shin Oe1, Yu Yamato2, Tomohiko Hasegawa3
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Division of Geriatric Musculoskeletal Health, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan. mecersior@gmail.com.
Purpose:
Frailty is caused by age-related decline in physical function, which may contribute to worsening spinal alignment. Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS)-criteria for assessing physical function seem more appropriate than frailty index which evaluate comorbiduty. However, there have been no reports investigating the relationship between frailty and spinal alignment using the CHS criteria. This study aimed to examine spinal radiographic parameters using the CHS criteria in volunteers participating in a health screening study.
Methods:
The subjects were 211 volunteers (71 males and 140 females) aged 60-89 years old who participated in the TOEI study in 2018 and 2020. They were divided into three groups (R: robust, PF: pre-frailty, and F: frailty) according to the score of the Japanese version of the CHS (J-CHS) criteria in 2018. The radiographic parameters were evaluated using a whole-spine standing X-ray.
Results:
There were 67 volunteers in group R, 124 volunteers in group PF, and 20 volunteers in group F. Of the five items in the J-CHS criteria, low activity was the most common in the PF group (64%). Low activity was also the most common in the F group (100%). Regarding spinal alignment, significant differences were found in C7SVA in 2020 (R:PF:F = 26:31:62 mm, P = 0.047), C2SVA in 2018 (20:34:63 mm, P = 0.019), and C2SVA in 2020 (37:47:78 mm, P = 0.041).
Conclusion:
Frailty was associated with a worsening in global alignment along the 2- year follow up. The frailty may begin with a decrease in activity and progression of exhaustion; preventing this progression is important through motivation to exercise.
Level Of Evidence:
II.
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