Improved activities of daily living in elderly patients with increased skeletal muscle mass during vertebral compression fracture rehabilitation

Purpose: We hypothesized that elderly patients with greater skeletal muscle mass have better activities of daily living (ADLs) than those with less skeletal muscle mass. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ADL improvement and changes in skeletal muscle mass among older patients ≥ 80 years of age who were undergoing rehabilitation for vertebral compression fracture (VCF).

Methods: This case-control study was conducted at a rehabilitation hospital. The participants were 149 patients aged ≥ 80 years undergoing VCF rehabilitation. Patients were divided into two groups based on changes in their skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) during the hospitalization period: one group with increased SMI and the other without increased SMI. Between-group and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the factors associated with SMI increase.

Results: The functional independence measure (FIM) gain was significantly higher in the group with SMI increase (36.0 [27.0-52.5], p = 0.016) than in the group without SMI increase (29.0 [19.0-41.0]). SMI gain was significantly associated with motor FIM gain (coefficient, 4.857; 95% confidence interval, 1.311-8.403; p = 0.008). Motor FIM and MMSE on admission, the necessity of assistance in ADL before the injury, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, were also significantly associated with motor FIM gain.

Conclusions: This study indicated that rehabilitation to gain skeletal muscle was effective in improving ADLs in elderly patients with VCF. We might encourage older patients with VCFs to undertake rehabilitation for the purpose of building skeletal muscle and improving their ADLs, and to not refrain from such rehabilitation due to old age and fractures.