Quality of life assessment inosteoporotic patients with and without vertebral fractures

Abstract

Vertebral fractures are assotiated with back pain and disability, but relatively little is known about their impact on quality of life of these patients. The aim of the study was to compare the quality of life of osteoporotic patients with and without vertebral fractures. Bone mineral density measurement was done by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry using LUNAR DPX-L in patients with osteoporosis divided into 2 groups: Group I (33 patients) with and Group II (30 patients) without vertebral fractures. Quality of life assessment was done using the Qualeffo-41. Statistical analysis was done using student t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. The results of Qualeffo-41 questionnaire suggest highly significant differences in quality of life between patients with and patients without vertebral fractures (p<0.001). Impaired quality of life in patients with vertebral fractures was evident in all domains of the questionnaire: pain (p=0.017), activities of daily living (p<0.001), jobs around the house (p=0.007), mobility (p<0.001), leisure, social activities (p=0.002), general health perception (p=0.002) and mental function (p=0.025). Health-related quality of life may be assessed using generic or disease-specific instruments. The Qualeffo-41 questionnaire is a disease-specific instrument which was developed by a working group of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and has a great face and content validity in assessing quality of life in osteoporotic patients. Osteoporotic patients with vertebral fractures have a significantly impaired quality of life compared with osteoporotic patients without vertebral fractures.