Quality of life issues in women with vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis

Abstract

Objective. To learn about the physical, emotional, and social limitations experienced by postmenopausal women who have back pain due to vertebral fractures resulting from osteoporosis.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of female patients with persistent pain due to vertebral fractures.Results. Respondents had a mean (fSD) bone density of 0.87 f 0.13 gm/cm2 and a mean (+SD) of 2.84 & 2.18 fractures. Disability was identified in pain, movement, activities of daily living, and emotion. There was a poor correlation between quality of life and findings on radiography or densitometry. Conclusion.To evaluate the effects of osteoporosis on a patient's functional status, direct questioning is required.Primary osteoporosis is an age-related condition characterized by decreased bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures (1). The condition is common (2-4), and the incidence of the first vertebral fracture increases from 5.0 per 1,000 person-years in subjects ages 50-54 years to 296 per 1,000 person-years in women ages 2 8 5 years (5). Vertebral fractures associated with osteoporosis can be self-limited or crippling (6), causing considerable pain and disability. The way in which osteoporosis affects patients' day-to-day lives has not been well studied, and physicians may therefore be unaware Of chronic airflow limitation (7-9) and chronic congestive heart failure (lo), the relationship between laboratory measurements and impairment of quality of life is surprisingly weak.To ascertain the impact of osteoporosis on health-related quality of life (HRQL), we asked the following questions. 1) What areas of physical, emotional, and social function are most aEected by osteoporotic vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women? 2) What is the relationship between physical, emotional, and social dysfunction, other health status measures, and physiologic variables?

Postural control among elderly women with and without osteoporosis: is there a difference?

“…Studies have suggested that individuals with osteoporosis present reduced strength and greater fear of falling. 3,23,24 Specifically focusing on our findings, it may be that the lower weight (8.1 kg lower) and BMI (3.3 kg/m 2 lower) relative to the controls, which is characteristic of individuals with osteoporosis, 25,26 may have had an influence. Weight may have negatively influenced the ability to displace the COP.…”

Self reported health status and magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with low back pain

“…The situation seems particularly complex in LBP. Cook et al [6] have previously shown weak correlation between the number and severity of vertebral fractures and quality of life in symptomatic osteoporotic patients. The most likely explanation for the lack of association shown in our study is that many pathogenic factors are responsible for pain and dysfunction in this group.…”

Advances in osteoporosis: better identification of risk factors can reduce morbidity and mortality

“…In 100 postmenopausal women with clinically important symptoms and moderate to severe vertebral osteoporosis, the degree of pain and level of impairment of quality of life in these patients were not predicted by the number and severity of fractures. The fear of falling and of sustaining additional fractures was an important concern for these women [24].…”

“…Indeed, pain and disability must be directly measured to understand the impact of an intervention on health-related quality of life [24]. Interventions to reduce falls and fracture complications beyond 6 months postoperatively may be beneficial for hip fracture patients [19].…”