The course of bone mineral density and biochemical markers of bone turnover in early postmenopausal spinal cord-lesioned females

Abstract

Study design: A prospective observational study. Objective: To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical markers of bone turnover in spinal cord-lesioned females in the early postmenopausal period. Setting: Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, H:S Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Material: In all, 18 early postmenopausal females with spinal cord lesions (SCL) of more than 2 years duration were recruited. In total, 11 completed the study. Methods: Using dual energy X-ray absorption, BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, trochanter and proximal tibia was measured every 6 months for 30 months. Biochemical markers of bone turnover in blood and urine were collected at the same time points. Results: A significant increase in markers of bone formation in the blood was found and markers of bone resorption in urine tended to increase. BMD values changed insignificantly but for all regions decreased, except the lumbar spine. Conclusion: An accelerated bone turnover occurs in early postmenopausal SCL females. At the same time, we showed an insignificant decrease in BMD data from the lower extremity. © 2005 International Spinal Cord Society All rights reserved.