Osteoporosis and Risk of Fracture in Men with Spinal Cord Injury

Study Design: Cross-sectional study to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture history after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Objectives: To determine frequency of osteoporosis and fractures after SCI, correlate extent of bone loss with frequency of fractures after SCI, and determine fracture risk in SCI patients.

Setting: The Hines Veterans Affairs Hospital in Hines, Illinois, USA.

Methods: Femoral neck BMD was measured in 41 individuals with a history of traumatic or ischemic SCI using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA Lunar Whole Body Densitometer Model).

Results: Twenty-five patients (61%) met the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for osteoporosis, eight (19.5%) were osteopenic, and eight (19.5%) were normal. Fracture after SCI had occurred in 14 patients (34%). There were significant differences between the femoral neck BMD and SCI duration in patients with a fracture history compared to those without. For patients in the same age group, each 0.1 gm/cm(2) and each unit of standard deviation (SD) (t-value) decrement of BMD at the femoral neck increased the risk of fracture 2.2 and 2.8 times, respectively. Considered simultaneously with age, duration of SCI, and level of SCI, BMD was the only significant predictor of the number of fractures.

Conclusion: Osteoporosis and an increased frequency of fractures occur after SCI. Measurement of femoral neck BMD can be used to quantify fracture risk in SCI patients.