Exploring thoracic kyphosis and incident fracture from vertebral morphology with high-intensity exercise in middle-aged and older men with osteopenia and osteoporosis: a secondary analysis of the LIFTMOR-M trial

• Published in: Osteoporosis international 2021-03, Vol.32 (3), p.451-465
• Main Authors: Harding, A. T., Weeks, B. K., Lambert, C., Watson, S. L., Weis, L. J., Beck, B. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - etiology; Bone mineral density; Clinical trials; Compression; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Endocrinology; Fractures; France; Humans; Kyphosis; Kyphosis - complications; Lumbar Vertebrae - injuries; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle age; Middle Aged; Morphology; Muscle contraction; Muscles; Older people; Original Article; Orthopedics; Osteopenia; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis - etiology; Posture; Rehabilitation; Rheumatology; Spinal Fractures - etiology; Spine (lumbar); Thoracic Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; Thoracic Vertebrae - injuries; Thorax; Vertebrae
• ISSN: 0937-941X; 1433-2965
• DOI: 10.1007/s00198-020-05583-x

Summary Our aim was to explore change in kyphosis and vertebral fracture incidence following 8 months of high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) or machine-based isometric axial compression (IAC) training in men with osteopenia and osteoporosis. HiRIT and IAC improved posture. HiRIT participants did not experience progression or incident vertebral fracture. IAC participants did experience progression and incident vertebral fracture. Introduction The Lifting Intervention For Training Muscle and Osteoporosis Rehabilitation for Men (LIFTMOR-M) trial examined efficacy and safety of an eight-month, supervised, high-intensity progressive resistance and impact training (HiRIT) program compared with machine-based isometric axial compression (IAC) training in middle-aged and older men with low areal bone mineral density (aBMD). The primary purpose of the current work was to explore change in thoracic kyphosis and incident fracture from vertebral morphology following eight-months of HiRIT or IAC training. The secondary purpose was to explore change in clinical kyphosis measures for HiRIT, IAC and a non-randomized, matched control group. Methods Men (≥ 45 yrs), with low aBMD, were recruited and randomized to HiRIT or IAC, or designated control. Clinical measures of thoracic kyphosis with inclinometry were determined. Cobb angle of kyphosis and vertebral fracture assessment using the Genant semi-quantitative method were determined from lateral thoracolumbar DXA (Medix DR, Medilink, France). Per-protocol ( n  = 40) and intention-to-treat ( n  = 93) analyses were conducted. Results Forty participants (HiRIT n  = 20, IAC n  = 20; 66.1 ± 7.8 yrs.; lumbar spine T-score − 0.1 ± 0.8; femoral neck T-score − 1.5 ± 0.5) underwent clinical kyphosis measures and thoracolumbar DXA at baseline and follow-up. No between-group differences were detected in kyphosis change, however, within-group improvements in neutral (HiRIT − 2.3 ± 0.8°; IAC − 2.5 ± 0.8°) and ‘standing tall’ (HiRIT − 2.4 ± 0.8°; IAC − 2.0 ± 0.8°) postures were observed ( p