Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether bone mineral density loss after spinal cord
injury can be attenuated by an early intervention with functional electrical
stimulation cycling exercises (FESCE) and to ascertain whether the effect
persists after FESCE is discontinued. DESIGN: A prospective study. SUBJECTS:
Twenty-four individuals with spinal cord injury, 26-52 days after spinal cord
injury, were divided into FESCE or control groups. METHODS: FESCE was applied in
the initial 3 months and then suspended in the subsequent 3 months. Bone mineral
density in the femoral neck and distal femur was measured using dual energy X-ray
absorptiometry before training, immediately after the initial 3 months of
training, and at the end of the subsequent 3 months. RESULTS: The bone mineral
density decrease rate in the distal femur in the FESCE group was significantly
less than that in the control group during the initial 3 months. However, there
was no significant difference in the subsequent 3 months. CONCLUSION: FESCE in
the early stages of spinal cord injury can partly attenuate bone mineral density
loss in the distal femur. However, bone mineral density loss in the distal femur
cannot be ameliorated completely by FESCE. In addition, the effect on the
attenuation of bone loss in the distal femur faded once FESCE was discontinued.

Langue : ANGLAIS