Skeletal and Body Composition Changes in Hemiplegic Patients

Hemiplegic patients are prone to bone loss and alterations in fat and lean mass, which ultimately affect their rehabilitation status and propensity in bone fractures. The present study aimed to evaluate body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) in stroke patients within 1st year post-stroke. Fifty-eight hemiplegic patients (36 men and 22 women) were enrolled in this prospective study. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess total-body and lower-extremity BMDs (g/cm2), lean mass (g), and fat mass (g) after 3, 6 and 12 mo of stroke that led to hemiplegia. The Modified Ashworth Scale and the functional ambulation category were used to evaluate spasticity and ambulatory category of patients, respectively. Both sexes exhibited total-body and paretic lower-limb BMD loss, fat mass gain, and lean mass waste during the 1st 12 mo poststroke, and in most cases, statistically significant differences were found between 3 and 6 mo; however, the pattern of changes was different between males and females. Therefore, it is suggested that disability because of hemiplegia led to alterations in muscle function, which triggered skeletal and body composition changes and rendered these patients particularly prone to increased fracture risk.