Osteoporotic compression fractures treated with a rigid brace, soft brace or no brace

• 出 处: 中华物理医学与康复杂志
• 发表日期: 2015年37期

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Benign osteoporotic compression fractures without neurologic deficits are inherently stable fractures, most often treated nonoperatively. As treatment often includes wearing an orthosis, this study compared the outcomes of patients treated with no brace, a rigid brace or a soft brace.

METHODS

Sixty patients, with an average age of 72.25 years and with an acute, one-level, osteoporotic compression fracture, were randomized to receive a soft brace, a rigid brace or no brace. The patients were instructed to wear the brace at all times except when lying down, for a total of eight weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score at 12 weeks after fracture.

RESULTS

At 12 weeks after fracture, ODI scores were 35.95 points in the no brace group, 37.83 points in the soft brace group and 33.54 points in the rigid brace group. In addition, no significant differences were found in secondary outcomes, including visual analogue scale scores for back pain and body compression ratios. No significant differences were noted among the three groups in use of opioids at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSION

This prospective, randomized study of patients with osteoporotic compression fractures found no difference in pain or disability scores at 12 weeks between those treated with no brace and those treated with either a soft or rigid brace.