Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In dropped head syndrome (DHS), the factors contributing to the prognosis due to conservative treatment have been unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of spinal malalignment due to pre-existing thoracolumbar vertebral fractures on the improvement rate of conservative treatment of DHS. METHODS: Overall, 90 patients with DHS who visited our hospital and underwent conservative treatment for 6 months were included in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups, Group F with and Group N without thoracolumbar vertebral fracture, and their improvement rate and spinal parameters were compared and statistically examined. RESULTS: Group F had a significantly larger sagittal vertical axis (SVA) and pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis (PI-LL). Cervicothoracic spine alignment did not differ between Groups F and N. The improvement rate of Group F was significantly lower than that of Group N (Group F: 18.8%, Group N: 54.1%). CONCLUSIONS: DHS with thoracolumbar vertebral fracture has significantly large SVA and PI-LL, which would be a poor prognostic factor of conservative treatment.