Lower-extremity muscle atrophy and fat infiltration after chronic spinal cord injury

Individuals with SCI are at increased risk of developing secondary complications, such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and osteoporosis, and often experience these conditions at an earlier age as compared to their able-bodied peers. Skeletal muscle plays a vital regulatory role in maintaining metabolic and bone health, and lower-extremity muscle atrophy is a major contributing factor to metabolic dysregulation after SCI5. The accumulation of adipose tissue within and between the muscle groups of the lower-extremities can be up to four times greater in those with SCI compared able-bodied controls

• 1
  Participants with motor-complete SCI had ≈32% lower muscle area, and ≈43% lower muscle density values relative to controls.
• 2
  Participants with motor-incomplete SCI had muscle area and density values that were both ≈14% lower than controls.
• 3
  Body mass (+), tetraplegia (+), motor function (+), spasticity (+), vigorous physical activity (+), wheelchair use (-), age (-), and waist circumference (-) were associated with muscle size and/or density in best-fit regression models.