Bone mass evaluation in spinal cord injured patients

Abstract

Spinal cord injury as a motor impaired is a big public health problem once the major incidence is between the youngest males hence in their professional and personal apogee. Proper treatment to them can lessen complications as pressure sore, orthopedic deformities and others. In the past this kind of patients used to have high mortality rate. Nowadays, with all the medical advances the survival rate increased and chronic complications as osteoporosis too and fractures that are consequences of that, increases the morbi-mortality rate , worsening life quality and increasing healthcare costs. The cause of osteoporosis in this patients is not well defined until this days. The non use theory is considered the main cause but we know that hormonal and neurogenic factors are also involved. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the fracture prevalence and the correlation between bone density and blood markers rate in spinal cord traumatic injured patients in the late phase of the lesion. We will evaluate the last 30 males that were seen at physiatric ambutatory with spinal cord injury at Osasco-AACD Rehabilitation center that respect the inclusion criteria. They will be compared to 15 health males from the community that don t use any medication that will interfere with the bone heath. All patients will be submitted to a clinical exam,radiographic exams,DEXA and blood exams. The results will be statistically analyzed and compared to the control group with the purpose of defining this group of patients profile and in the future be able to define a treatment for osteoporosis in this patients based in evidence based science. (AU)