title: Temporal modifications in bone following spinal cord injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal modifications in bone mass, bone biomechanical properties and bone morphology in spinal cord injured rats 2, 4 and 6 weeks after a transection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Control animals were randomly distributed into four groups (n = 10 each group): control group (CG) - control animals sacrificed immediately after surgery; spinal cord-injured 2 weeks (2W) - spinal cord-injured animals sacrificed 2 weeks after surgery; spinal cord-injured 4 weeks (4W) - spinal cord-injured animals sacrificed 4 weeks after surgery; spinal cord-injured 6 weeks (6W) - spinal cord-injured animals sacrificed 6 weeks after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biomechanical properties of the right tibia were determined by a three-point bending test and injured animals showed a statistically significant decrease in maximal load compared to control animals. The right femur was used for densitometric analysis and bone mineral content of the animals sacrificed 4 and 6 weeks after surgery was significantly higher compared to the control animals and animals sacrificed 2 weeks after surgery. Histopathological and morphological analysis of tibiae revealed intense resorptive areas in the group 2 weeks after injury only.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that this rat model is a valuable tool to investigate bone remodeling processes specifically associated with SCI. Taken together, our results suggest that spinal cord injury induced bone loss within 2 weeks after injury in rats.
authors: Department of Bioscience, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Carla Christina
authors: CC
authors: Medalha
authors: Beatriz Oliveira
authors: BO
authors: Amorim
authors: Kelly Rosseti
authors: KR
authors: Fernandes
authors: Rosa Maria
authors: RM
authors: Pereira
authors: Ana Cláudia Muniz
authors: AC
authors: Renno
authors: Daniel Araki
authors: DA
authors: Ribeiro
keywords: bone loss; rat; spinal cord injury