Bone Muscle Crosstalk in Spinal Cord Injuries: Pathophysiology and Implications for Patients' Quality of Life

The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of (i) bone and muscle tissue modifications pathophysiology in spinal cord injury (SCI), (ii) experimental data on the physiopathological mechanisms underpinning these modifications and their similarities with the aging process, and (iii) potential clinical implications in the management of the disabling sequelae of SCI.

Several studies attempted to describe the biology underpinning the links between bone and muscle tissues in the setting of highly disabling conditions, such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and neurodegenerative disorders, although these bidirectional connections remain still unclear. SCI could be considered an in vivo paradigmatic model of the bone muscle interactions in unloading conditions that might be expanded in the field of neurodegenerative disorders or cancer studies. Future studies should take into consideration the newer insights into bone muscle crosstalk in order to develop multitargeted and therapeutic interventions.