Systematic back muscle exercise after percutaneous vertebroplasty for spinal osteoporotic compression fracture patients: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Clinical rehabilitation Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 483 - 492
• Main Authors: Chen, Bai-Ling, Zhong, Yi, Huang, Yang-Liang, Zeng, Li-Wen, Li, Yi-Qiang, Yang, Xiao-Xi, Jiang, Qin, Wang, Chu-Huai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2012; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Aged; Back pain; Back surgery; Bone density; Clinical trials; Disability; Eligibility; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Female; Fractures; Fractures, Compression - therapy; Humans; Low Back Pain - etiology; Low Back Pain - therapy; Male; Measurement; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Muscles; Osteoporosis; Osteoporotic Fractures - therapy; Pain Measurement; Randomized controlled trials; Rehabilitation; Spinal Fractures - therapy; Surgery; Vertebroplasty; China; Activities of daily living; compression fracture; osteoporosis; low back pain; physical training
• ISSN: 0269-2155; 1477-0873; 1477-0873
• DOI: 10.1177/0269215511423557

Objective: To analyze the clinical significance of postoperative back muscle exercises after percutaneous vertebroplasty for spinal osteoporotic compression fracture patients. Design: Clinical randomized controlled trials of parallel group nonpharmacologic study. Setting: Patients practised back muscle exercises in the spinal surgery department, rehabilitation department and at their residences. Subjects: Osteoporotic compression fracture patients who had undergone percutaneous vertebroplasty and processed sufficient muscle strength to participate in the training were studied. Interventions: Patients were randomized into two groups, which were titled A and B. General postoperation therapy, including antiosteoporotic medications and education, was offered to all patients. Group B patients received additional systematic back muscle exercise. Main measures: Both Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively at three-day, one-month, six-month, one-year and two-year follow-up. Results: From January 2006 to January 2009, a total of 82 patients were assessed for eligibility, 60 patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups. Forty-two (70%) patients (20 of 30 in Group A and 22 of 30 in Group B) were successfully followed-up for two years. Systematic back muscle exercises resulted in a significant advantage in both measurements. The ODI of Group B was significantly better than Group A at the six-month, one-year and two-year follow-ups (P < 0.05). The pain level of Group B was significantly lower than in Group A at the one- and two-year follow-ups (P < 0.05). At the end of our study, the mean (SD) of the ODI in Groups A and B were 39.1 (9.14) and 23.4 (5.62); the mean (SD) of the VAS in Groups A and B were 3.4 (1.15) and 2.1 (0.84), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the benefit of the exercises required at least six months to be observed; however, the favourable effects could last for two years. Therefore, systematic back muscle exercise should be recommended as one of the treatment guidelines for postpercutaneous vertebroplasty patients.