Body Composition in Paraplegic Men

Influence of neurological level of injury in bones, muscles, and fat in paraplegia

“…We found BMI to be related to FM in all groups; however, after analysis according to the NLOI, only group B showed significant correlation between BMI and FM. Group B had more FM at any given BMI value than group C [9]. Spungen et al and Dionyssiotis et al also found a relationship between total body fat percent and BMI for a SCI and control group, but our finding that the correlation depends on the values of the groups with low-level paraplegia is new [8][9].…”

“…Furthermore, in both groups with paraplegia we found lower values of BMI than in group C. BMI is a value that relates body weight to body size and does not distinguish between subjects' component of weight (LM and FM). Studies in the literature have proven that FM and body fat percent are greater in paraplegics [8][9]. In a former study, we show that the values of FM in total body composition of a subject with paraplegia compared with a control subject (using whole-body DEXA) were increased.…”

“…Group B had more FM at any given BMI value than group C [9]. Spungen et al and Dionyssiotis et al also found a relationship between total body fat percent and BMI for a SCI and control group, but our finding that the correlation depends on the values of the groups with low-level paraplegia is new [8][9]. An explanation may lie in the specific alterations to body composition of patients with paraplegia and the effect of factors such as immobilization, damage to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and hormonal status.…”

“…The recent scientific finding of a sympathetic innervation of bone tissue and its role in the regulation of bone remodeling is of major interest in situations where uncoupling between osteoclasts and osteoblasts occurs [13]. Subjects with paraplegia lose bone extremely fast and the SNS is disproportionately involved when compared with the parasympathetic nervous system at highlevel SCI [9]. Clinical evidence exists that the sympathetic regulation of bone does occur in humans and plays a clinically important role in diseases characterized by excessive sympathetic activity [25].…”

“…Additional studies have shown that bone loss and deterioration of body composition are more severe in the sublesional regions of subjects with SCI and tetraplegics than in those of paraplegics [2][3][4]. The duration of paralysis (DOP) was inversely related to bone and muscle loss as well as fat gain in paraplegics [5][6][7][8][9]. Clinical studies also indicated that neurological injuries are associated with the development of rapid and severe osteoporosis that is not only due to compromised biomechanical function but could also originate in the central nervous system [10][11][12][13].…”