Relation between Prevalence of Osteoporosis in Patients with Spinal Injury and Dietary Calcium Intake

Aims. Immobility, along with other factors, results in osteoporosis in patients with spinal injury. Given immobility and possibility of local injuries among patients with spinal injury, this study sought to determine the relation between the prevalence of osteoporosis and dietary calcium intake in this group of patients. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study of 27 patients with spinal injury hospitalized in Baqiyatallah (a.s) Medical Center. Demographic data and other relevant information about the patients life styles and medication for osteoporosis were obtained. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) of femoral and lumbar regions was performed, and statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Of all the patients one case was female, and the mean age of the patients was 41.1 years (SD=4.5). The mean duration of spinal injury was 20.1 + 4 years. In 74.1% of the patients, injury was in the lumbar region and in 25.9% of them was in the cervical zone of the spinal cord. Mean T score of femoral BMD was -2.2 + 2.16 gr/Cm2 consequently, 14.8% of the patients were osteoporotic and 70.4% osteopenic. Mean T score of Lumbar BMD was 1.53 + 0.16 as a result, only 22.2% were osteopenic and 3.7% were osteoporotic. Of all the osteoporotic patients 92.9% and of the osteopenic ones 55.6% had daily calcium intake of less than 400 mg (P=0.023). Despite the significant correlation between BMD of femoral and lumbar regions (r=0.627, P=0.001), there was no statistically significant relation (p=0.518) for the classification of osteopenic and osteoporotic patients on the basis of the said criteria. Conclusion. Our study established that the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with spinal injury was higher than that in the normal population. Our findings tie in with those reported in other similar studies. Despite the fact that patients with spinal injury are prone to osteoporosis because of immobility, their nutritional behavior is poor. Those with a lower calcium intake have lower bone density. Fine lumbar spine fractures due to osteoporosis and immobility may explain the differences shown between femoral and lumbar BMD findings, which suggests that femoral BMD is a more appropriate diagnostic procedure in such patients.