Correlations between Sagittal Parameters and Functional Scores in 65-Year-Old Osteoporotic Females with Vertebral Body Fracture under Low-Energy Mechanism

Abstract

Background: Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common fragility fractures associated with low-energy injury mechanisms in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. No clear consensus is currently available on the optimal timing for surgical intervention in specific cases. Methods: This study examined the correlations between sagittal parameters, functional scores, and the appropriate timing for surgical intervention during the recovery stage in patients with osteoporosis with thoracolumbar (TL) vertebral body fractures. A total of 161 women aged ≥ 65 years with osteoporosis were included in the study. Spinal sagittal parameters from standing plain films and functional outcomes as the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were collected. Results: We found that TL junction Cobb angle was significantly correlated with ODI > 30 (p < 0.001) and VAS > 6 (p < 0.001) and the discriminative values for predicting ODI > 30 and VAS > 6 were a TL kyphotic angle of 14.5° and 13.5°, respectively. Among women aged ≥ 65 years with osteoporosis, the back pain and functional impairment observed within 6 months following a compression fracture are associated with a greater TL kyphosis angle. Conclusions: This suggests that a more proactive approach may be necessary when addressing the conditions of these patients.

Research of Global Tilt and Functional Independence: Insights into Spinal Health of Older Women

“…Both global sagittal parameters (GT and SVA) and regional parameters (upper cervical lordosis (UCL), middle cervical lordosis (MCL), lower cervical lordosis (LCL), C7 slope, upper thoracic kyphosis (UTK), lower thoracic kyphosis (LTK), upper lumbar lordosis (ULL), lower lumbar lordosis (LLL), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), and pelvic tilt (PT)) were measured using longstanding lateral plain radiographs. The sagittal parameters were introduced and defined as follows [5,[17][18][19] (Figure 1A-D): GT is determined by the angle between C7, the center of the sacrum, and the line between the center of the femoral heads and the center of the sacrum (Figure 1A). SVA is the length of a horizontal line connecting the posterior superior sacral end plate to a vertical plumbline dropped from the centroid of the C7 vertebral body (Figure 1A).…”

“…lateral plain radiographs. The sagittal parameters were introduced and defined as follo [5,[17][18][19] (Figure 1A-D): GT is determined by the angle between C7, the center of the crum, and the line between the center of the femoral heads and the center of the sacr (Figure 1A). SVA is the length of a horizontal line connecting the posterior superior sa end plate to a vertical plumbline dropped from the centroid of the C7 vertebral body (F ure 1A).…”