Study evaluated bone microstructure of the distal tibia and radius using high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography in 13 men with spinal cord injury (SCI) who regularly trained with functional electrical stimulation (FES) rowing. The purpose was to determine whether the amount of FES rowing (total distance rowed and peak foot force) and/or time since injury (TSI) predict bone loss after SCI. Volumetric density of the total, cortical, and trabecular compartments, cortical thickness, and trabecular thickness were assessed. Linear regression analysis found that TSI was not associated with any of the tibial bone metrics. In fact, none of the variables (TSI, total distance rowed, and peak foot force) independently predicted bone loss. When all three variables were considered together using stepwise regression, results showed a strong prediction for trabecular microstructure, but not cortical bone metrics. Specifically, trabecular volumetric bone mineral density and thickness were negatively associated with TSI and positively associated with distance rowed. Foot force contributed markedly less to trabecular bone than distance rowed or TSI. Results suggest that regular FES-rowing may have the capacity to alter the time-dependent bone negative effects of SCI on trabecular bone density and microstructure.
Author(s):
Draghici, Adina E. |Taylor, J. Andrew |Bouxsein, Mary L. Shefelbine, Sandra J.|
