06. July 2004 PQCT in research about spinal chord injuries The Swiss Paraplegic Center in Nottwil uses currently pQCT to investigate bone loss pattern in spinal chord injury patients. In contrast to DXA, pQCT allows a precise localisation of bone´s adaptation to immobilisation. Up to 80% of trabecular bone mass is removed during the first 2 years of immobilisation. Cortical bone is absorbed from the endosteal envelope to a smaller extent. Bone loss is only observed in the affected limbs Source: Relationship between duration of paralysis and bone structure: a pQCT Study of spinal cord injured individuals. P Eser, A Frotzler, Y Zehnder, L Wick, H Knecht, J Denoth, H Schiessl Bone 34: (2004) 869 - 880   back