The Association between Nutrition and the Functional Outcomes of Elderly Women with Acute Vertebral Compression Fractures

Background: Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is a major injury that occurs in elderly individuals.　The aim of this study is to predict the functional outcomes of elderly female patients with acute VCF based on their nutritional status. 　Methods: A total of 69 female patients with acute VCF were included in the present study.　The age, fracture location, body mass index, grasping power, the amount of the patientʼs daily nutritional intake, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and nutritional status (determined from laboratory findings) were evaluated at the time of admission.　After in-hospital rehabilitation, the patients were divided into two groups based on their motor Functional Independence Measure (mFIM) scores at the time of discharge.　A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors that predicted the outcome.　Results: The patients were divided into the high mFIM (score ≥ 79, n＝36) and the low mFIM (score＜79, n＝33) groups.　The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the amount of the patient’s nutritional intake and the MMSE score were associated with the outcome.　Conclusions: he cognitive status and the amount of the patient’s nutritional intake were associated with the prognosis of elderly women with acute VCF