title: Stability of kyphosis, strength, and physical performance gains 1 year after a group exercise program in community-dwelling hyperkyphotic older women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if subjects maintained improvements in kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a 12-week multidimensional group exercise program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follow-up data compared with posttest outcome measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen of the initial 21 women, ages 65 to 80, with thoracic kyphosis of 50 degrees or greater at the onset of the study completed follow-up testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initial intervention included multidimensional group exercise performed 2 times a week for 12 weeks, consisting of spinal extensor strengthening, flexibility exercises, and integrated spinal proprioception training. Subjects exercised independently during the following year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary measures at the 1-year follow-up were usual and best kyphosis. Secondary measures included spinal extensor strength, modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), and the Jug Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects maintained gains at the 1-year follow-up (P>.05). Best kyphosis improved by 3 degrees during the follow-up year (P=.022). There were no significant declines in usual kyphosis (P=.302), spinal extensor strength (P=.999), PPT (P=.087), and the Jug Test (P=.999) at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperkyphotic women maintained gains in usual kyphosis, spinal extensor strength, and physical performance 1 year after a group exercise program. Improvement in best kyphosis in the year after the intervention was also observed. Detraining effects may be minimized by multidimensional exercises.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0736, USA. Sarah.Balys@ucsfmedctr.org
authors.forename: Sarah B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pawlowsky
authors.forename: Kate A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hamel
authors.forename: Wendy B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Katzman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013131:Spine