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Review

The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury

1
Research Service, Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
2
Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
3
Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
4
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020608
Submission received: 3 November 2021 / Revised: 15 December 2021 / Accepted: 21 December 2021 / Published: 6 January 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Spinal Cord Injury)

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) produces paralysis and a unique form of neurogenic disuse osteoporosis that dramatically increases fracture risk at the distal femur and proximal tibia. This bone loss is driven by heightened bone resorption and near-absent bone formation during the acute post-SCI recovery phase and by a more traditional high-turnover osteopenia that emerges more chronically, which is likely influenced by the continual neural impairment and musculoskeletal unloading. These observations have stimulated interest in specialized exercise or activity-based physical therapy (ABPT) modalities (e.g., neuromuscular or functional electrical stimulation cycling, rowing, or resistance training, as well as other standing, walking, or partial weight-bearing interventions) that reload the paralyzed limbs and promote muscle recovery and use-dependent neuroplasticity. However, only sparse and relatively inconsistent evidence supports the ability of these physical rehabilitation regimens to influence bone metabolism or to increase bone mineral density (BMD) at the most fracture-prone sites in persons with severe SCI. This review discusses the pathophysiology and cellular/molecular mechanisms that influence bone loss after SCI, describes studies evaluating bone turnover and BMD responses to ABPTs during acute versus chronic SCI, identifies factors that may impact the bone responses to ABPT, and provides recommendations to optimize ABPTs for bone recovery.
Keywords: neuromuscular electrical stimulation; bodyweight supported treadmill training; vibration; osteoblast; osteoclast; osteocyte; sclerostin; Wnt beta catenin; RANKL; OPG neuromuscular electrical stimulation; bodyweight supported treadmill training; vibration; osteoblast; osteoclast; osteocyte; sclerostin; Wnt beta catenin; RANKL; OPG

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sutor, T.W.; Kura, J.; Mattingly, A.J.; Otzel, D.M.; Yarrow, J.F. The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 608. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020608

AMA Style

Sutor TW, Kura J, Mattingly AJ, Otzel DM, Yarrow JF. The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022; 23(2):608. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020608

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sutor, Tommy W., Jayachandra Kura, Alex J. Mattingly, Dana M. Otzel, and Joshua F. Yarrow. 2022. "The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, no. 2: 608. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020608

APA Style

Sutor, T. W., Kura, J., Mattingly, A. J., Otzel, D. M., & Yarrow, J. F. (2022). The Effects of Exercise and Activity-Based Physical Therapy on Bone after Spinal Cord Injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(2), 608. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020608

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