Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence of osteoporosis in spinal cord injury patients.
Methodology: A descriptive case series was conducted with a sample of 50 patients presenting with cord injury from September 2012 to February 2013 at Lahore General Hospital. It included 33 males and 17 females. Dual energy X-Ray absorptiometry was used to measure the Bone Density of lumbar and thoracic spine, hip and forearm region. American Spinal Injury Association scale was used to demonstrate the level of spinal cord injuries.
Results: Out of 50 patients, 35 fell into complete A grade, whereas 15 had incomplete injuries falling into Grade B, C and D. 22% patients were osteopenic, 24% had osteoporosis and 42% were severely osteoporotic.
Conclusion: Increased bone mineral loss occurs in patients with spinal cord injury. These patients are at higher risk to develop fractures predominantly at hip, spine and forearm regions without any trauma.

Key words: Bone mineral density, fractures, osteoporosis, spinal cord injuries.