title: Quality of life in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
abstract: METHODS
  A case-control study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine several dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in postmenopausal women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures, compared with a control group.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are a major cause of morbidity among postmenopausal women. There have been many reports of a decrease in the quality of life in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. However,few reports have analyzed which dimensions contribute to the decline in quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand five hundred forty-five postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older from 17 study sites in nationwide hospitals were in enrolled in the study (between April 2008 and January 2009). HRQL was measured using the European Quality of Life 5 Domains (EQ-5D), and visual analogue scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average VAS of the case group was 57.80, and that of the control group was 64.10 (p=0.001). All domains of the EQ-5D score were significantly worse in the case group (p=0.001). Among the case group, the average VAS of the 559 patients (45%) who were operated on was 56.8, and that of the remaining 680 patients (55%) who were treated conservatively was 58.6 (p=0.135). Among the case group, the averages of each EQ-5D domain of the 559 patients (45%) who were operated on were: 1.87 in mobility, 1.81 in self-care, 1.99 in usual activities, 2.11 in pain, and 1.62 in anxiety or depression. Those of the 680 patients (55%) who were treated conservatively were: 1.72 in mobility, 1.60 in self-care, 1.76 in usual activities, 1.98 in pain, and 1.57 in anxiety or depression. Except for the domain of anxiety or depression, scores for the other domains were all significantly worse in the patients who were operated on (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health related quality of life in the patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures was significantly worse in both the EQ-5D domains and VAS. Among the osteoporotic vertebral fracture patients, the patients who were operated on had a worse quality of life in EQ-5D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kwang-Myung Sung-Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Pil
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kwang-Myung Sung-Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kwang-Myung Sung-Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ki
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kwang-Myung Sung-Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kwang-Myung Sung-Ae Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwan-Mo
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Moon
keywords: Health-related quality of life; Osteoporotic vertebral fracture