Matched‐cohort study of body composition, physical function, and quality of life in men with idiopathic vertebral fracture

Objective To determine the effect of 6 years of routine management on body composition, physical functioning, and quality of life, and their interrelationships, in men with idiopathic vertebral fracture. Methods Twenty men with idiopathic vertebral fracture (patients: mean ± SD age 58 ± 6 years) were age and height matched to 28 healthy controls with no known disease. The primary outcome was skeletal muscle mass (appendicular lean mass by dual x‐ray absorptiometry) assessed at 2 visits (0 and 6 years). Physical functioning and quality of life domains were assessed by the Senior Fitness Test and Short Form 36 (SF‐36) questionnaire at visit 2 only. Data were analyzed by repeated‐measures analysis of variance, independent t‐tests, and correlation. Results At visit 1, appendicular lean mass was 9% lower in patients than controls. Although patients better maintained appendicular lean mass between visits (interaction P = 0.016), at visit 2 appendicular lean mass remained 5% lower in patients than controls. Furthermore, patients' appendicular lean mass change was correlated with femoral neck bone density change (r = 0.507, P = 0.023). Physical function tests were 13–27% lower in patients compared with controls (P = 0.056 to 0.003), as were SF‐36 quality of life physical domains (13–26% lower; P = 0.028 to