Bed rest may reduce surgery rates among patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures
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Published results showed hospitalized bed rest for 2 weeks may reduce the number of patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures and poor prognostic MRI findings who require surgery.
Researchers identified all patients aged 65 years or older with osteoporotic vertebral fractures who began treatment at one of two facilities within 2 weeks after injury and were observed for 6 months. Researchers noted one hospital had patients rest for 2 weeks (n=116), while the other hospital did not instruct patients to rest (n=108). Researchers further categorized patients into groups based on the presence or absence of poor prognostic MRI findings. Researchers considered the rate of transition to surgery as the primary end point and considered bone union rate, vertebral collapse progression, local kyphosis progression and changes in activities of daily living as secondary end points.
Results showed 45 patients in the rest group and 37 patients in the no rest group had poor prognostic MRI findings, with surgery required in three patients in the rest group and nine patients in the no rest group. Researchers noted the rest group and no rest group did not have significantly different rates of transition to surgery. However, results showed patients with poor prognostic MRI findings in the rest group had significantly lower transition rates.
Patients in the two groups had no significant differences in bone union rate and changes in activities of daily living, according to results. Researchers found a mean vertebral collapse progression of 6.4% in the rest group and 20.9% in the no rest group. Researchers also noted a mean local kyphosis progression of 2.4° in the rest group and 8.8° in the no rest group.
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