BALANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS

Objective: People affected by osteoporosis are at particular risk for bone fractures caused by falls. Preventive intervention depends on fir st describing the risk factors for falls present in this population as a group and as individuals. In this preliminary study, balance charac teristics of women with and without osteoporosis were measured with co mputerized dynamic posturography (CDP). Design: A case control design was selected to compare the balance characteristics of each group of p atients with osteoporosis. Setting: Testing was performed in the vesti bular assessment area of our multispecialty clinic. Subjects: Patient groups were selected from within our case load. Ten women with osteopo rosis were compared with six women with osteoporosis and kyphosis (Cob b angle more than 54 degrees) and with five age-matched normal subject s. Interventions: Because this was an observational study, no interven tions were used. Main Outcome Measure: Averaged results from all trial s of sensory organization tests 5 and 6, with use of sway amplitude an d balance strategy scores, were used to compare the performance of eac h patient group. Results: Both groups with osteoporosis had different balance control strategies than the group without osteoporosis. Specif ically, those with osteoporosis had greater use of hip strategies for maintaining balance than did the normal group. Those with kyphosis als o had greater postural sway than either of the other two groups. Concl usion: Results of this study suggest that there are differences in bal ance control strategies and sway amplitude between patients with and t hose without osteoporosis. Further study is recommended in which CDP i s used to clarify and confirm these differences. Individual CDP result s can be used to optimize habilitative management of these patients. ( C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Am erican Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.