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Published on: January 16, 2019
Testosterone replacement therapy and motor function in men with spinal cord injury: a retrospective analysis
Mary J Clark1, Gregory F Petroski, Micah O Mazurek
1Department of Health Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate motor function in men with spinal cord injury (SCI) given testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Design:
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) rehabilitation discharge motor index scores were compared between men with SCI given TRT (testosterone cypionate, 200 mg, monthly; n = 50) and a comparison group (n = 480) in a retrospective study. Covariates included admission motor and FIM scores, level of injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), days since injury, and age.
Results:
ASIA discharge motor scores for ASIA impairment scale grades C and D were significantly different (P < 0.05) in men with incomplete SCI given TRT, relative to the comparison group. The covariate-adjusted mean discharge score for the TRT group was higher than for the comparison group. There were no significant differences in discharge FIM scores (P = 0.34) for men with incomplete injuries and no differences in the adjusted discharge ASIA motor scores (P = 0.92) or adjusted discharge FIM scores (P = 0.16) for men with complete injuries.
Conclusion:
The data support a relationship between TRT and strength gains in men with residual motor function after SCI. Prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.
