Spinal cord injury-induced osteoporosis in veterans

In a cross-sectional study, 132 male veterans with spinal cord injury (average age 37.4 years; injuries sustained from 5 to 23 years ago), underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, by LUNAR, to define bone mineral density (BMD) in second to fourth lumbar vertebrae and the neck of the right femur (g/cm(2)). The results showed that bone minerals in the lumbar area are reserved better than in the femoral neck. The study on the femoral neck revealed that 81.5% of subjects had osteoporosis and 13.1% osteopenia. Evaluation of lumbar spines also showed that 16.7% of the veterans had osteoporosis and 18.2% osteopenia. A significant difference was observed between vertebral bone density (mean 1.23 g/cm(2)) and the neck of the right femur (mean 0.66 g/cm(2)). There was also a slight negative correlation between bone density and risk of bone fracture in vertebrae and femoral neck. No significant relation between bone density and age, level of injury, spasm, occupation, and postinjury period was reported. A slight negative correlation between weight and bone mineral density and a slight positive correlation between height and bone mineral density were found.