Reduced pulmonary function in patients with spinal osteoporotic fractures

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Spinal osteoporosis leads to vertebral deformation, causing pain and reduced quality of life.
• Thoracic spinal deformation may negatively impact pulmonary function.
• Understanding this link is crucial for managing osteoporosis patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if thoracic spinal deformation in osteoporosis impairs pulmonary function.
• To compare pulmonary function (VC, FEV1) between osteoporosis patients and chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients.
• To correlate pulmonary function with the severity of spinal deformity.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated expiratory relaxed vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in 34 osteoporosis patients and 51 CLBP patients.
• Pulmonary function tests were standardized using age, sex, and height, with a focus on previous body height at age 25.
• Assessed spinal deformity using the Spine Deformity Index (SDI) and clinical measures of body stature.

Main Results:

• Osteoporosis patients exhibited significantly lower VC and FEV1 compared to CLBP patients, especially when standardized for previous height.
• VC (standardized) showed a significant negative correlation with SDI-anterior (r = -0.4, p < 0.03).
• Reduced VC also correlated with height reduction (r = -0.34, p < 0.05) and rib-iliac crest distance (r = 0.35, p < 0.04).

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary function is significantly diminished in patients with spinal osteoporotic fractures.
• Reduced pulmonary function is significantly correlated with the severity of spinal deformation.
• These findings highlight the systemic impact of osteoporosis beyond bone health.