Effect of alendronate on bone mineral density in spinal cord injury patients: a pilot study

\Study design: Prospective, randomised controlled trial. Objective: To evaluate the effect of alendronate on bone mineral density in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Setting: University-based rehabilitation centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A total of 19 chronic SCI patients were evaluated, divided into a control group and an experimental group. Control group patients received 1000 mg of calcium daily, and experimental group patients received 1000 mg of calcium plus 10 mg of alendronate daily. The study duration was 6 months. In all, 12 densitometric parameters were analysed using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after 6 months. Results: The experimental group presented increases in nine densitometric parameters, although statistical significance was attained in only two of those parameters. In the control group, an increase was observed in only one parameter, whereas the remaining 11 presented either no alteration or a decrease. Conclusion: The use of alendronate had a positive effect on bone mineral density in SCI patients and therefore represents a potential tool for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in this population.