Sagittal range of motion after a spinal fracture: does ROM correlate with functional outcome?

Literature regarding the effect of a spinal fracture and its treatment in terms of resulting spinal range of motion (ROM) is scarce. However, there is need for data regarding sagittal spinal ROM, since many patients who sustain a spinal fracture are concerned about the back mobility they will have after treatment. In addition, the relationship between ROM and impairment is not clear. The literature gives conflicting results. To study spinal ROM after a spinal fracture, we measured thoracolumbar ROM in operatively and non-operatively treated patients (n=76, average 3.7 years follow-up) as well as controls (n=41). In order to study the relation between ROM and subjective back complaints, we calculated the correlation between thoracolumbar ROM and scores derived from the VAS spine score and RMDQ. To assess impairment after a spinal fracture, we compared RMDQ and VAS scores between operatively and non-operatively treated patients and healthy controls. Operatively treated patients were found to have lower thoracolumbar ROM than controls (56.7degrees vs 70.0degrees, respectively; p