Effectiveness of whole-body vibration on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
PubMed 36282343 · doi:10.1007/s00198-022-06556-y
What was done
Authors conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) versus control or conventional exercise on bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Outcomes evaluated were areal bone mineral density (aBMD) across multiple hip and spine sites and volumetric trabecular BMD (vBMDt) of the radius and tibia, using weighted mean differences. Study quality was evaluated with the PEDro scale and certainty of evidence with GRADE. In total, 23 studies were included in the systematic review and 20 in the meta-analysis.
What was found
Thirteen studies demonstrated high methodological quality. Compared to control groups, WBV showed statistically significant benefits on aBMD at the lumbar spine and trochanter in primary analyses, as well as in subgroup analyses based on vibration type (side-alternating and synchronous), frequency, magnitude, cumulative dose, and knee positioning. However, the abstract does not report specific numeric effect sizes, point estimates, or confidence intervals. Based on GRADE, high-quality evidence was confirmed specifically for regimens combining high frequency (~30 Hz), low magnitude (~0.3 g), and high cumulative dose (~7000 min) for improving lumbar spine aBMD.
Why it matters
This review identifies specific, effective WBV protocol parameters (~30 Hz, ~0.3 g, ~7000 min cumulative dose) that have high-grade evidence for improving lumbar spine bone density in postmenopausal women without requiring high-magnitude mechanical loads.
Limits
The abstract omits quantitative effect estimates, confidence intervals, total participant count, and adverse event rates. Evidence certainty was not high across all evaluated anatomical sites or parameter combinations, and safety remains unclear for higher-magnitude vibrations (≥ 1 g).
Cited by
- supports Standing on vibration plates is beneficial for countering osteoporosis.