Use of Arm Span in Estimating Loss of Stature in Elderly Women with Low Back Pain in a Community

概要

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In the community setting, management of low back pain in elderly people is mportant, and performing simple physical measurements to estimate the amount of structural changes, including height loss, may be useful for screening purposes. Arm span can be used as a reference for the height attained before middle age. The purpose of this study is to compare (i) the estimated loss of stature, that is, arm span minus height (AS － H) and (ii) sitting height/arm span ratio (SH/AS) between elderly women with low back pain and asymptomatic women. Seventeen elderly women (age ≧ 60 years) with mild knee pain participated in this study. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the indications between the low back pain group (n = 10; age, 72.5 ± 4.6 years [mean ± SD]) and asymptomatic group (n = 7; age, 66.5 ± 4.5 years). Age-adjusted group mean of AS － H in the low back pain group (5.4 cm) was greater than that in the asymptomatic group (1.9 cm). The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.005). In contrast, no significant difference was found in SH/AS between the 2 groups for SH/AS (p = 0.123). The association between the loss of stature and etiological findings should be clarified.