CIMIT Forum: Assessment of FES Rowing in Promoting Bone Health in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: Evaluation Using Ultra-high Resolution Flat-panel Volume CT

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Assessment of FES Rowing in Promoting Bone Health in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: Evaluation Using Ultra-high Resolution Flat-panel Volume CT

1.26.2010

SPEAKER:
Rajiv Gupta, MD, PhD, Director, VCT Lab and Assistant Radiologist,
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital

MODERATOR:
Thomas Brady, MD, CIMIT Co-Program Leader, Cardiovascular Disease; Director of Cardiovascular Imaging and Intervention and Director of Radiology Research, Massachusetts General Hospital; LL Robbins Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School; visiting professor, MIT Sloan School

Forum Abstract

FES-rowing exercise programs have tremendous therapeutic potential to reduce fracture rates in spinal cord injury leading to decreased morbidity, decreased health care costs, and improved quality of life. Direct visualization of changes in cortical thickness and trabecular architecture from FES rowing requires spatial resolution that is currently not available in clinical computed tomography (CT) scanners. Rajiv Gupta will present a new prototype scanner based on the flat-panel detector technology that can be used for assessing FES rowing induced changes. Dr. Gupta will present the results of a pilot study involving a small cohort of patients. Preliminary results demonstrate that FES-rowing improves bone health and is a powerful stimulus for new bone formation.