The relationship between vertebral deformities and thoracic arthropathy with back pain in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between back pain and thoracic vertebral deformities and arthropathy in patients with COPD who underwent thorax CT scans to screen for lung nodules and cancer. Materials and methods: The data of patients who underwent thoracic CT and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) between July 2019 and February 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: the COPD (n = 64) and control groups (n = 101), according to the PFT results. The CT images were evaluated for vertebral deformities, osteoporosis and thoracic vertebral joint arthropathy, and the Spinal Deformity Index (SDI) was calculated. Results: Back pain was detected in 43.7% of the COPD patients and 20.9% of the controls. The patients with COPD had significantly higher rates of costotransverse, intervertebral, facet joint arthropathy, and osteoporosis than did the control group (P <.001). The OR analyses showed that the presence of a vertebral deformity (OR 4.42, 95% CI 2.26 − 8.63, P <.001), of facet joint arthropathy (OR 3.6, 95% CI 2.83−4.58, P <.001), and of costotransverse arthropathy (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.47−2.77, P <.001) were associated with the presence of back pain. Although a strong positive correlation was found between the SDI and pain score, a moderate negative correlation was found between the FEV1% values and pain score. Conclusions: Back pain was present in patients with COPD and was related to vertebral deformities and facet and costotransverse joint arthropathy. Additional studies are required to clarify the relationships of back pain with musculoskeletal system diseases, including cervical and lumbar spine arthropathy and vertebral deformities. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd