Fibula response to disuse : a longitudinal analysis in people with spinal cord injury

Abstract Summary Fibular response to disuse has been described in cross-sectional but not longitudinal studies. This study assessed fibular bone changes in people with spinal cord injury. Fibular bone loss was less than in the tibia and was not correlated together. This might explain low fibular fracture incidents in these patients. Purpose Cross-sectional studies suggest that the fibula responds differently to loading and disuse compared to the tibia. Whilst tibial bone changes following spinal cord injury (SCI) have been established in longitudinal studies, fibular changes remain unexplored. Methods Fibular and tibial bone parameters were assessed in 13 individuals with SCI (aged 16–76 ye…