Objective
To investigate the relationship between Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in subacute stroke patients.
Methods
Twenty-three subacute male stroke patients under the age of 65 were prospectively enrolled to exclude both postmenopausal and senile effects on BMD. The TIS, Berg Balance Scale, the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index, and manual muscle test were measured at admission and 3 months after stroke onset. BMD of the bilateral lower extremities and lumbar vertebrae was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry 3 months after stroke onset.
Results
TIS at baseline (TIS_B) and TIS at 3 months after stroke (TIS_3m) showed significant correlations with lumbar BMD (TIS_B, r=0.522; TIS_3m, r=0.517). Through multiple regression analysis, the TIS_B was associated with lumbar BMD (adjusted R2=0.474). However, BMD of the bilateral lower extremities was not correlated with any clinical measurements except body mass index.
Conclusion
We found a relationship between TIS_B and lumbar BMD in subacute young male stroke patients. Stroke patients with poor trunk control in the early subacute stage would have low BMD of vertebral bones at 3 months. The TIS can be useful for estimating bone fragility in the lumbar vertebrae of subacute stroke patients.

Citations

• Effects of shoulder brace usage on postural stability in stroke survivors: A pilot randomized controlled trial
  Giovanni Morone, Alessandro Antonio Princi, Marco Iosa, Rebecca Montemurro, Irene Ciancarelli, Paola Coiro, Danilo Lisi, Riccardo Savo, Matteo Notturno Granieri, Domenico De Angelis, Marco Tramontano
  NeuroRehabilitation.2024; 54(3): 449.     CrossRef