Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35063701›Full record

SynthesisBrazilian journal of physical therapy

Benefits and harms of non-surgical and non-pharmacological management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Karen Bolton, Jason A Wallis, Nicholas F Taylor

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effectiveness and safety of physical exercise and health education for the management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Conservative treatments for non-surgically managed osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a network meta-analysis of long-term pain and quality of life.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Pooled it
  3. Electrostimulation: A Promising New Treatment for Psoriasis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Karen BoltonAcute & Aged Medicine: Emergency Department / General Medicine, Eastern Health, Australia. Electronic address: Bolton@easternhealth.org.au.
Jason A WallisDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Monash-Cabrini Department of Musculoskeletal Health and Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Health, Victoria, Australia; Department of Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Nicholas F TaylorDepartment of Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Prosthetics and Orthotics, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia; Allied Health Clinical Research Office, Eastern Health, Victoria, Australia.
La Trobe University · AUEastern Health · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOsteoporotic vertebral fractures affect a large number of older adults

objectivesSystematically review evidence of the benefits and harms of non-surgical and non-pharmacological management of people with osteoporotic vertebral fractures compared with standard care (control); and evaluate the benefits and harms of non-surgical and non-pharmacological management of people with osteoporotic vertebral fractures compared with an alternative non-pharmacological, non-invasive intervention.

designSystematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Five electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and COCHRANE) were searched. Eligible trials included participants with primary osteoporosis and at least one vertebral fracture diagnosed on radiographs, with treatment that was non-surgical and non-pharmacological involving more than one session.

resultsTwenty randomized controlled trials were included with 2083 participants with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Exercise, bracing, multimodal therapy, electrotherapy, and taping were investigated interventions. Meta-analyses provided low certainty evidence that exercise interventions compared to no exercise were effective in reducing pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (mean difference (MD)= 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08, 1.93), and low certainty evidence that rigid bracing intervention compared with no bracing was effective in reducing pain in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (MD= 2.61; 95%CI: 0.95, 4.27). Meta-analyses showed no differences in harms between exercise and no exercise groups. No health-related quality of life or activity improvements were demonstrated for exercise interventions, bracing, electrotherapy, or multimodal interventions.

conclusionsExercise and rigid bracing as management for patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures may have a small benefit for pain without increasing risk of harm.

trial registrationPROSPERO registration number CRD42012002936.

Indexed as

Osteoporotic FracturesSpinal FracturesAgedExerciseHumansPainQuality of LifeBracingExerciseOsteoporotic vertebral fractureRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID35063701
PMCPMC8784306
OpenAlexW4206067016

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.