Effects of conservative treatment of 2-week rigorous bed rest on muscle disuse atrophy in osteoporotic vertebral fracture patients

Akira Ikumi; Toru Funayama; Sho Terajima; Satoshi Matsuura; Akihiro Yamaji; Yuko Nogami; Shun Okuwaki; Haruo Kawamura; Masashi Yamazaki

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Effects of conservative treatment of 2-week rigorous bed rest on muscle disuse atrophy in osteoporotic vertebral fracture patients

VernacularTitle:Effects of conservative treatment of 2-week rigorous bed rest on muscle disuse atrophy in osteoporotic vertebral fracture patients
Author: Akira IKUMI ¹ ; Toru FUNAYAMA ² ; Sho TERAJIMA ¹ ; Satoshi MATSUURA ¹ ; Akihiro YAMAJI ¹ ; Yuko NOGAMI ¹ ; Shun OKUWAKI ¹ ; Haruo KAWAMURA ¹ ; Masashi YAMAZAKI ²
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1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kenpoku Medical Center Takahagi Kyodo Hospital, Japan
2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan
Keywords: osteoporotic vertebral fracture; bed rest; disuse atrophy; cognitive function; muscle strength
From:Journal of Rural Medicine 2021;16(1):8-13
CountryJapan
Language:English
Abstract: Objective: Osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) is conventionally treated with conservative management such as bed rest, but a relatively prolonged bed rest has the potential risk of muscle disuse atrophy. This study aimed to examine whether the 2-week of rigorous bed rest affects muscle disuse atrophy in OVF patients.Patients and Methods: A total of 54 OVF patients (16 males; 38 females; mean age, 80.2 ± 9.2 years) were treated with an initial 2-week rigorous bed rest by hospitalization with persistent rehabilitation. Cognitive function, swallowing function, grip strength, and lower extremity circumference were evaluated at three-time points (admission, end of bed rest, and discharge).Results: Of the 51 patients who were able to walk independently before the injury, one patient (2.0%) had to use a wheelchair after the injury. During hospitalization, cognitive function decline was observed in 33.3% of patients, but not in patients with Revised Hasegawa’s Dementia Scale score ≥25 at admission. Swallowing function decline was observed in one patient, and none of the patients developed aspiration pneumonia during hospitalization. The grip strength significantly improved both at the end of bed rest (P=0.04) and discharge (P=0.02). Although the lower extremity circumference significantly decreased at the end of bed rest (P<0.01), it was recovered afterward. The lower extremity circumference did not significantly differ between the admission and discharge (P=0.17).Conclusion: Our results suggested that conservative treatment of OVF through an initial 2-week rigorous bed rest with persistent hospital rehabilitation poses a low risk of muscle disuse atrophy. If cognitive dysfunction is observed on admission, close monitoring for exacerbation should be performed during the hospital stay.