Can spinal cord injury cause osteoporosis?
Can spinal cord injury cause osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a known consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) and occurs in almost every SCI patient.
How does osteoporosis affect the spinal cord?
This can make elderly patients shorter and lead to a rounded back, a hump, or a bent-forward look to the spine. As osteoporosis progresses, the vertebrae weaken and become flatter. This can cause a severely rounded back (“dowager’s hump”). The weakened vertebrae are at a high risk for fracture.
What causes osteoporosis of the spine?
A lifelong lack of calcium plays a role in the development of osteoporosis. Low calcium intake contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures. Eating disorders. Severely restricting food intake and being underweight weakens bone in both men and women.
Where does osteoporosis occur in spine?
People with osteoporosis most often break bones in the upper (thoracic) spine. When these bones break, they can cause pain, height loss and stooped or hunched posture, called kyphosis.
What is the greatest contributing factor to the development of osteoporosis in CNS injury?
Following CNS injury, immobility is the greatest contributing factor to the development of osteoporosis. Other risk factors include mechanical unloading and longer duration since injury.
Why do paralyzed people have weak bones?
It is now well known that spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to immediate bone loss in the paralyzed limbs and is associated with hypercalciuria. This bone loss may continue for as long as 2 years, when it seems to stabilize.
What are the symptoms of osteoporosis of the spine?
In serious cases of spinal osteoporosis, the nervous system is affected and you may experience numbness, tingling, or weakness. If you have severe kyphosis, you may also experience difficulty walking and problems with balance, which means you are at increased risk of falling and breaking other bones, such as the hips.
What type of fracture is associated with osteoporosis?
Consistent with current clinical experience, the fractures rated most likely due to osteoporosis were the femoral neck, pathologic fractures of the vertebrae, and lumbar and thoracic vertebral fractures. The fractures rated least likely due to osteoporosis were open proximal humerus fractures, skull, and facial bones.
What can be done for osteoporosis of the spine?
Treatment for osteoporosis typically involves lifestyle changes to diet and exercise, as well as medication that slows down the rate of bone breaking down (called bone resorption), increases bone formation, or both.
What is the best treatment for osteoporosis of the spine?
Bisphosphonates are usually the first choice for osteoporosis treatment. These include: Alendronate (Fosamax), a weekly pill. Risedronate (Actonel), a weekly or monthly pill.
Can osteoporosis cause paralysis?
Be reassured that spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis do not cause paralysis. They’re what we call ‘stable’, which means they’re not going to move and damage the spinal cord.
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