title: The influence of vertebral fracture on the functional disability of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to identify the influence of vertebral fracture (VF) on the functional disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study consecutively enrolled 100 female patients aged 50 yr or older with RA. All participants underwent lateral imaging of the thoracolumbar spine by simple radiography to identify any VFs. They also completed questionnaires via interview regarding demographics, medical history, and disease outcomes including functional disability. We used univariate analysis to evaluate associations between functional disability and VF, and made multivariate logistic regression models to test independent effect of the presence of VF, the number of VFs, and the severity of VF on functional disability. Among the 100 RA patients, 47 had at least one VF, but 34 of them were asymptomatic that they had experienced a fracture. The multiple VFs ≥ 3 (OR, 8.95; 95% CI, 1.77-44.15, P = 0.01) and moderate or severe VF (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.26-9.04, P = 0.02) were related to disability in univariate analysis. The multiple VFs ≥ 3 (OR, 6.13; 95% CI, 1.02-36.94, P = 0.048) was associated with functional disability of RA patients after adjusting various confounders and it was mainly in walking and arising. The VF might be an important factor which affects functional disability in RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo-Kyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4493-8837
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Joo-Hyun
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4549-6284
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Minkyung
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5011-5557
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seunghun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4348-7993
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2199-4529
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Ah
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4474-180X
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Young
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7535-4343
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Cheol
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4658-1093
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon-Kyoung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003710:Demography; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Health Assessment Questionaire; Spinal Fractures