Summary

It is well known that bone demineralization and osteoporosis occur in spinal cord-injured patients which may lead to pathologic fractures. There is a dramatic increase in bone degradation after a short time from the beginning and a decrease in osteoblastic activity. Many factors may effect bone mineral density in spinal cord-injured patients such as age, sex, level of injury, time since injury, lesion completeness, hormonal status, ambulatory status, spasticity, and rehabilitative interventions. Recent studies have investigated the factors effecting bone mineral density in spinal cord-injured patients as well as the prevention of osteoporosis. In this paper, the results of these studies were reviewed.Turk J Phys Med Rehab 2007;53:1198-20.
Key Words: Spinal cord injury, osteoporosis, bone mineral density