Women, Spinal Cord Injury, and Osteoporosis

People who are intact neurologically but who are subjected to a prolonged period of immobilization for a variety of reasons are known to sustain significant deterioration of bone mineral density. Able-bodied women are known to lose a considerable portion of their bone mineral density in the early postmenopausal period, and otherwise healthy individuals with spinal cord injury are known to sustain significant bone loss in the part of the skeleton that is rendered non-weight bearing. Although the incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures has been clearly defined in the postmenopausal population, the risks are less clearly defined in the spinal cord-injured population. The purpose of this article is to review literature pertaining to the incidence of osteoporosis, the risk of osteoporotic fractures, and the presentation, prevention, and treatment of these conditions in people with spinal cord injury, with particular focus on women.