Abstract: Objective To explore the effect of salmon calcitonin on osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury. Methods 100 patients with osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury from September 2011 to September 2014 in our department were included. They were randomly divided into control group (n=50) and observation group (n=50). The control group received vitamin D3 only, while the observation group received vitamin D3 combined with salmon calcitonin on the basis of rehabilitation physiotherapy, for 6 months. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain was evaluated in different periods. The bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine and femoral neck, the parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone gla protein (BGP) and 1,25- dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) were tested and recorded. Results The VAS score was lower in the observation group than in the control group 1, 2, 3 and 6 months after treatment (P<0.001). The BMD of lumbar spine and femoral neck was significantly higher, the PTH and BGP were significantly lower and the 1,25-(OH)2D3 was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group after treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion Combination of salmon calcitonin can effectively reduce the bone pain and improve the BMD in patients with osteoporosis induced by spinal cord injury.

Key words: spinal cord injury, osteoporosis, vitamin D3, salmon calcitonin