scholarly journals The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 608
Author(s):  
Tommy W. Sutor ◽  
Jayachandra Kura ◽  
Alex J. Mattingly ◽  
Dana M. Otzel ◽  
Joshua F. Yarrow

Spinal cord injury (SCI) produces paralysis and a unique form of neurogenic disuse osteoporosis that dramatically increases fracture risk at the distal femur and proximal tibia. This bone loss is driven by heightened bone resorption and near-absent bone formation during the acute post-SCI recovery phase and by a more traditional high-turnover osteopenia that emerges more chronically, which is likely influenced by the continual neural impairment and musculoskeletal unloading. These observations have stimulated interest in specialized exercise or activity-based physical therapy (ABPT) modalities (e.g., neuromuscular or functional electrical stimulation cycling, rowing, or resistance training, as well as other standing, walking, or partial weight-bearing interventions) that reload the paralyzed limbs and promote muscle recovery and use-dependent neuroplasticity. However, only sparse and relatively inconsistent evidence supports the ability of these physical rehabilitation regimens to influence bone metabolism or to increase bone mineral density (BMD) at the most fracture-prone sites in persons with severe SCI. This review discusses the pathophysiology and cellular/molecular mechanisms that influence bone loss after SCI, describes studies evaluating bone turnover and BMD responses to ABPTs during acute versus chronic SCI, identifies factors that may impact the bone responses to ABPT, and provides recommendations to optimize ABPTs for bone recovery.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-159
Author(s):  
Abdulai Bangura ◽  
Thomas Shuler ◽  
Lisa Wright ◽  
Anne Lake

Background: Among the various etiologies of osteoporosis, spinal cord injury has a drastic progression of the disease, causing weekly bone loss. There is no definitive treatment for the prevention of osteoporosis in these individuals. This review illustrates the recent findings on the pathophysiology, treatment, and management of spinal cord injury-induced osteoporosis. Furthermore, we cover a case of a male patient who experienced severe bone loss after a spinal cord injury at the age of 21 years. The Case: We have a 57-year-old man with a history of AIS grade A spinal cord injury, level T11 with rod fixation from a motorcycle collision at age 21. His fracture history following the injury includes tibia, femur, and vertebral fractures. Bone mineral density imaging revealed notable T-scores ranging from -3.1 to -3.4 at the hip and femurs. Treatment plan consisted of teriparatide, dietary supplements, and physical therapy. Biomarkers from baseline to post one month of treatment revealed the following: procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide from 38 mcg/L to 70 mcg/L and C-terminal telopeptide from 209 pg/mL to 88 pg/mL, representing an increased bone formation and decreased bone resorption, respectively. After two years, bone mineral density T-scores improved to -2.7 on the left and the patient was capable of standing for the first time with the assistance of a standing frame. Conclusion: Our case exemplified the progression of the disease and treatment options. A basis for the derivation of future innovative therapies has been covered. Favorable treatments and management are described in the review.


2014 ◽  
Vol 99 (12) ◽  
pp. 4649-4655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Passos Gaspar ◽  
Cynthia M. A. Brandão ◽  
Marise Lazaretti-Castro

Abstract Context: Bone loss is a constant finding in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective: We sought to evaluate potential modifiable factors that could lead to bone loss in complete motor paraplegia by examining gonadal axis hormones, vitamin D status, and bone markers. Design: This is a cross sectional. Setting: It includes SCI Outpatient. Patients and other Participants: Twenty-nine chronic male patients with SCI were compared with 17 age-matched, able-bodied men. Main Outcome Measure: The bone mineral density (BMD) of lower limbs and lumbar spine were measured using dual x-ray absorptiometry. Parathormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], collagen type I C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), and sexual hormone were measured. Results: Patients with SCI had lower BMD at the inferior limbs sites. CTX showed an inverse relationship with the time since injury. Patients had lower free T levels (SCI, 12.00 ± 2.91 vs controls, 19.51 ± 5.72; P ≤ .001), and the majority (72%) had normal/low levels of gonadotropins. Low T, however, was not related to low bone mass in patients with SCI. In the controls, the 25(OH)D level was positively correlated with the T and with the lumbar spine BMD, but these correlations were not observed in the SCI. Conclusions: Impairment of testicular function after SCI was indicated by the low levels of T and the loss of correlation between T and 25(OH)D levels; this correlation was present in the able-bodied controls. Inappropriate levels of gonadotropins were identified in most patients, featuring a hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and suggesting a disruption of the pituitary-gonadal axis. T concentrations might not be an effective target for bone loss therapy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Godry ◽  
Mustafa Citak ◽  
Matthias Königshausen ◽  
Thomas A. Schildhauer ◽  
Dominik Seybold

Abstract In case of patients with spinal cord injury and concomitant acromioclavicular (AC) jointdislocation the treatment is challenging, as in this special patient group the function of the shoulder joint is critical because patients depend on the upper limb for mobilization and wheelchair-locomotion. Therefore the goal of this study was to examine, if the treatment of chronic AC-joint dislocation using the Weaver- Dunn procedure augmented with a hook-plate in patients with a spinal cord injury makes early postoperative wheelchair mobilization and the wheelchair transfer with full weightbearing possible. In this case the Weaver- Dunn procedure with an additive hook-plate was performed in a 34-year-old male patient with a complete paraplegia and a posttraumatic chronic AC-joint dislocation. The patient was allowed to perform his wheelchair transfers with full weight bearing on the first postoperative day. The removal of the hook-plate was performed four months after implantation. At the time of follow-up the patient could use his operated shoulder with full range of motion without restrictions in his activities of daily living or his wheel-chair transfers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Cirnigliaro ◽  
Mary Jane Myslinski ◽  
Pierre Asselin ◽  
Joshua C. Hobson ◽  
Adam Specht ◽  
...  

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