Factors associated with the 6-minute walk test performance in older adults with hyperkyphosis.

The analysis was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that spine curvature, height, weight, or medication use caused changes in walking distance. Participants had to be able to walk one block without an assistive device, climb one flight of stairs independently, rise from a chair without using their arms, pass safety tests, and have at least 5 degrees of thoracic spine mobility, so the sample was more mobile than many older adults with hyperkyphosis. People with fixed kyphosis or conditions that would prevent a group-based exercise and posture program were excluded, which may have removed participants with more severe functional limitation. The sample was mostly white, highly educated, and physically active, so the findings may not generalize to ethnically diverse, less educated, or less active older adults.

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Do not conclude that hyperkyphosis is unrelated to walking endurance in all older adults. The study found no independent association between Cobb angle and 6-minute walk distance, but it was cross-sectional and included only active, flexible-spine older adults who could walk without aids.