KBB-Forum 2017 , Cilt 16, Sayı 3

EVALUATION OF POSTURAL STABILITY AND FALL RISK IN PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME

Harun SOYALIÇ1, MD; Handan İNÖNÜ2, MD; Mustafa AVCU1, MD; Can KOÇAK3, MD;Ahmet İNANIR4, MD; Evrim Ünsal TUNA1, MD
1Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı, Kırşehir, Turkey
2Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Göğüs Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Tokat, Turkey
3Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı, Tokat, Turkey
4Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Tokat, Turkey Objectives: To evaluate patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) for fall risk and postural stability using the Biodex Balance System.

Methods: The study involved the examination of 95 individuals. Twenty-five of these individuals were healthy controls (13 male, 12 female) whose apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was below 5. In addition, 35 of them were patients with mild OSAS (17 male, 18 female); and 35 of them were patients with moderate-severe OSAS (19 male, 16 female). OSAS patients and healthy controls were examined for postural stability and fall risk using the Biodex Balance System.

Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between groups regarding sex, age, height, weight, Overall Stability Index, Antero-Posterior Stability Index, or Medio-Lateral Stability Index (p>0.05). The mean body mass index (BMI) in the control group did not show a significant difference in comparison to the mild OSAS or moderate-severe OSAS groups (p>0.05). Interestingly, the mean BMI of the mild OSAS group (27.11±2.35 kg/m2) was lower compared to the moderate-severe OSAS group (28.72±2.98 kg/m2) (p=0.039). Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between the groups for Fall Risk Index (FRI) (p<0.001). The moderate-severe OSAS group had a significantly higher FRI compared to both the mild OSAS group and the control group (p=0.044, p<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Postural instability and fall risk in patients with severe OSAS that engage in activities that require attention-balance can be assessed using the Biodex Balance System. Keywords : Biodex balance system, postural instability, fall risk, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome