title: Standing frame and electrical stimulation therapies partially preserve bone strength in a rodent model of acute spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the effect of standing frame and electrical stimulation on bone quality in a rodent transection model of spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: sham, n = 10; SCI, n = 7; SCI + standing frame, n = 7; and SCI + electrical stimulation, n = 7. Complete SCI was generated by surgical transection of the cord at the T10 level. Therapies were initiated 3 days after the surgery, 3 days/wk, 20 mins/day, for 30 days. Animals were killed on day 33 postinjury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No treatment preserved bone mineral density at any skeletal site tested (P = 0.08-0.99). Standing frame therapy preserved maximal load at the lumbar vertebral body (14% vs. 37% reduction, P = 0.01) and prevented SCI-induced loss of stiffness at both the femur (8% vs. 37% reduction, P = 0.03) and the tibia (35% vs. 56% reduction, P < 0.0001). Electrical stimulation therapy reduced SCI-induced loss of stiffness at the tibia only (40% vs. 56% reduction, P = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standing frame and electrical stimulation may have potential as future therapeutic modalities to treat or prevent bone loss after SCI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomechanics, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamarioli
authors.forename: Ricardo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Battaglino
authors.forename: Leslie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Supreetha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sudhakar
authors.forename: Daniel A C
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Maranho
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Jose B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Volpon
authors.forename: Antonio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Shimano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005269:Femur / Q000503:physiopathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013977:Tibia / Q000503:physiopathology; D016474:Weight-Bearing