High-intensity exercise did not cause vertebral fractures and improves thoracic kyphosis in postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass: the LIFTMOR trial.

Abstract

The LIFTMOR trial demonstrated a novel, HiRIT program notably improved bone mass in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis. While no clinical signs or symptoms of vertebral crush fracture were evident during the trial, anecdotal feedback suggests that concerns about safety of HiRIT in the osteoporosis demographic remain.The aim of the current work was to assess vertebral body morphology, Cobb angle, and clinical measures of thoracic kyphosis in participants in the LIFTMOR trial for evidence of vertebral fracture following 8 months of supervised HiRIT. Participants were randomized to either 8months of 30-min, twice-weekly, supervised HiRIT or unsupervised, low-intensity, home-based exercise (CON). Lateral thoracolumbar DXA scans (Medix DR, Medilink, France) were performed at baseline and follow-up. Cobb angle was determined, and vertebral fracture identification was performed using the semiquantitative Genant method. Clinical kyphosis measurements were performed in relaxed standing (neutral posture) and standing tall using an inclinometer and a flexicurve. The HiRIT group exhibited a reduction in inclinometer-determined standing tall thoracic kyphosis compared to CON (- 6.7 ± 8.2° vs - 1.6 ± 8.1°, p = 0.031). Both the HiRIT and CON groups exhibited within-group improvement in kyphosis in relaxed standing as measured by both inclinometer and flexicurve (p < 0.05). There were no changes in vertebral fracture classification in the HiRIT group post-intervention. A single, new, wedge deformity was observed for CON. Supervised HiRIT was not associated with an increased risk of vertebral fracture in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Indeed, a clinically relevant improvement in thoracic kyphosis was observed following 8months of supervised HiRIT, further supporting its efficacy as an osteoporosis intervention for postmenopausal women with low to very low bone mass.