Bone mineral density evaluation among patients with neuromuscular scoliosis secondary to cerebral palsy☆

OBJECTIVE To evaluate bone mineral density among patients with neuromuscular scoliosis secondary to quadriplegic cerebral palsy. METHODS This was a descriptive prospective study in which both bone densitometric and anthropometric data were evaluated. The inclusion criteria used were that the patients should present quadriplegic cerebral palsy, be confined to a wheelchair, be between 10 and 20 years of age and present neuromuscular scoliosis. RESULTS We evaluated 31 patients (20 females) with a mean age of 14.2 years. Their mean biceps circumference, calf circumference and body mass index were 19.4 cm, 18.6 cm and 16.9 kg/m(2), respectively. The mean standard deviation from bone densitometry was -3.2 (z-score), which characterizes osteoporosis. CONCLUSION There is high incidence of osteoporosis in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis secondary to quadriplegic cerebral palsy.