Quantitative ultrasound assessment of acute bone loss following spinal cord injury: A longitudinal pilot study

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in substantial and rapid osteoporosis. Given its rapid onset, assessment of bone changes in the early stages (first 6 months) following SCI is important. This is particularly pertinent if intervention is to be implemented. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) represents a potential assessment tool for the evaluation of skeletal changes in the early stages following SCI. This longitudinal pilot study assessed changes in QUS measures of calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) in 15 male subjects (age 23.9 ± 7.3 years) over a 6-week period. Their mean time since SCI was 110.3 ± 34.5 days. Also assessed were bone mineral density of the ..