Dose Estimation and Surveillance of Mechanical Loading Interventions for Bone Loss After Spinal Cord Injury

This case report explores how careful dose selection and monitoring of patient adherence can improve rehabilitation interventions for bone loss after spinal cord injury (SCI). A man with paraplegia underwent electrical stimulation of the soleus muscle, with compressive loads applied to the tibia. Researchers tracked adherence to the protocol and measured muscle torque, fatigue, and bone mineral density (BMD). The study suggests that early, well-dosed, and closely monitored mechanical loading can help preserve BMD after SCI, which has broader implications for rehabilitation research.

• 1
  The patient adhered to the electrical stimulation protocol, performing nearly 8,000 soleus muscle contractions per month.
• 2
  Muscle torque and fatigue resistance increased rapidly in response to the training.
• 3
  BMD decline in the trained tibia was half the rate of decline in the untrained tibia, with preferential preservation in the posterior tibia.