Relationship between sarcopenia/paravertebral muscles and the incidence of vertebral refractures following percutaneous kyphoplasty: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to reveal the associations of osteoporotic vertebral compression refracture (OVCRF) incidence with sarcopenia and paravertebral muscles (PVM). METHODS: A total of 214 elderly patients who underwent percutaneous kyphoplasty in our hospital between January 2017 and December 2019 were analyzed. Data on possible risk factors, including sex, age, weight, height, diabetes, treated vertebral levels (thoracolumbar junction [(T10–L2]), vacuum clefts, and body mass index (BMI), were collected. Preoperative bone mineral density (BMD) and appendicular muscle mass were evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to evaluate the physiological cross-sectional area of the PVM. RESULTS: Overall, 74 (15 men and 59 women) and 60 (55 women and 14 men) patients developed OVCRF and sarcopenia, respectively. Sarcopenia is related to advanced age, ower BMD and BMI values. Sarcopenia-related indicators (PVM fat rate, appendicular muscle mass index, grip strength) were significantly lower in the sarcopenia group. Univariate analysis showed a correlation between OVCRF and BMD, BMI, diabetes, sarcopenia, and age. Multivariate analysis suggested that fatty infiltration of the PVM, BMD, sarcopenia, diabetes, BMI, and treated vertebral level remained as the independent predictors of OVCRF (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The association between sarcopenia and PVM as independent risk factors for OVCRF was established in this study; therefore, sarcopenia should be greatly considered in OVCRF prevention. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-022-05832-6.