Bone mineral density in patients with chronic spinal cord injury: An observational study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v14i2.48784

Keywords:

Spinal cord injury; Bone mineral density; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Osteoporosis

Abstract

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is accompanied by loss of bone mass caused by accelerated bone remodeling, with bone resorption exceeding bone formation which causes net bone loss. The significance of osteoporosis after SCI is that it results in skeletal fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Complications from fractures lead to an increase not only in the associated morbidity and mortality, but also in the health-care costs that they generate.

Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with SCI in Indian population and to determine the effects of the neurological level, severity of injury, and mobility status on BMD.

Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective and observational study conducted on 52 chronic SCI patients. After detailed history and examination, patients were assessed using American spinal injury association impairment scale following which BMD was assessed by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Scan. Correlation between the T score and neurological level, severity of injury and mobility status was assessed. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Out of 52 patients included, 41 were having complete SCI and 35 were non-ambulatory. T score was significantly (P<0.001) lower in lumbar spine and both femur in complete SCI patients. The T score was indicative of increased osteoporosis in non-ambulatory patients. BMD did not differ significantly (P<0.059) in patients with relation to various neurological levels.

Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that osteoporosis is commonly present in patients with complete SCI and non-ambulatory was more affected. Early mobilization of these patients reduces the development of osteoporosis.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
65
PDF
138

Downloads

Published

2023-02-01

How to Cite

Ratnakar, L., Laisram, N. ., Banoth, K., Badhal, S. ., & Dhiman, N. (2023). Bone mineral density in patients with chronic spinal cord injury: An observational study. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 14(2), 178–182. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v14i2.48784

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2023)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. The journal holds copyright and publishes the work under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license that permits use, distribution and reprduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. The journal should be recognised as the original publisher of this work.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).