Treatment-dependent association between sarcopenia and ADL at discharge after osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

INTRODUCTION

Sarcopenia has been associated with lower activities of daily living (ADL). This study investigated whether sarcopenia at admission is associated with ADL at discharge in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF) and whether this differs by treatment (conservative or balloon kyphoplasty, BKP).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 78 patients with OVF (76.8% female; mean age 83.0 ± 6.7 years). Sarcopenia was defined according to the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria, requiring low skeletal muscle mass and low handgrip strength. The outcome was ADL at discharge. Multivariate regression analyses were performed after adjusting for age, sex, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), functional independence measure (FIM-M) at admission, and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). An interaction term (sarcopenia × treatment) was included to examine treatment-dependent associations.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between sarcopenia at admission and lower FIM-M at discharge (B = - 11.77, β = - 0.36, 95% CI = - 20.47 to - 3.07, P = 0.009). A significant interaction between sarcopenia and treatment was also detected (B = 5.81, β = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.02 to 11.60, P = 0.049), indicating that the association between sarcopenia and FIM-M at discharge differed with treatment modality.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia at admission correlated with ADL at discharge in patients with OVF. This association was modified by treatment modality, with the negative association attenuated in patients undergoing BKP.