LAUSR

BACKGROUND Research on the multi-faceted characteristics of persistent severe acute lower back pain (LBP) resulting from acute vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) is lacking. OBJECTIVE To investigate the psychological and functional status of older patients with persistent severe acute disease after conservative treatment of VCFs. METHODS This prospective study included women aged 50 years and older who had acute VCFs and were admitted to the hospital. Pain intensity, depression, pain catastrophizing, activities of daily living (ADL), muscle strength, and vertebral deformity were assessed on admission. At 2 and 4 weeks post-admission, physical performance tests were performed along with the above measures. RESULTS We divided 131 participants into severe (n= 64) and mild (n= 67) groups according to their pain intensity at 4 weeks. Compared to the mild group, the severe group showed significantly higher levels of depression and catastrophizing, with significantly poorer muscle strength and endurance. There were no significant differences in ADL and vertebral deformities between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that older patients with persistent severe acute LBP resulting from VCFs tend to be depressed and pain catastrophizing. Furthermore, persistent severe acute LBP negatively impacts endurance and muscle strength but not ADL.