Reactions of the Rat Musculoskeletal System to Compressive Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Whole Body Vibration (WBV) Therapy

Overview

Journal J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact

Specialties Neurology
Orthopedics
Physiology

Date 2015 Jun 3

PMID 26032204

Citations 1

Authors

A Schwarz

C Pick

R Harrach

G Stein

H Bendella

O Ozsoy

U Ozsoy

E Schoenau

P Jaminet

L Sarikcioglu

S Dunlop

D N Angelov

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a loss of locomotor function with associated compromise of the musculo-skeletal system. Whole body vibration (WBV) is a potential therapy following SCI, but little is known about its effects on the musculo-skeletal system. Here, we examined locomotor recovery and the musculo-skeletal system after thoracic (T7-9) compression SCI in adult rats. Daily WBV was started at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after injury (WBV1-WBV28 respectively) and continued over a 12-week post-injury period. Intact rats, rats with SCI but no WBV (sham-treated) and a group that received passive flexion and extension (PFE) of their hind limbs served as controls. Compared to sham-treated rats, neither WBV nor PFE improved motor function. Only WBV14 and PFE improved body support. In line with earlier studies we failed to detect signs of soleus muscle atrophy (weight, cross sectional diameter, total amount of fibers, mean fiber diameter) or bone loss in the femur (length, weight, bone mineral density). One possible explanation is that, despite of injury extent, the preservation of some axons in the white matter, in combination with quadripedal locomotion, may provide sufficient trophic and neuronal support for the musculoskeletal system.

Citing Articles

Administration of low intensity vibration and a RANKL inhibitor, alone or in combination, reduces bone loss after spinal cord injury-induced immobilization in rats.

Peng Y, Bramlett H, Dietrich W, Marcillo A, Sanchez-Molano J, Furones-Alonso O Bone Rep. 2024; 23:101808.

PMID: 39429803 PMC: 11489065. DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2024.101808.

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