A baseline bone densitometry study was performed on a 47-year-old man with incomplete SCI, C4 level, ASIA D and Brown-Sequard's syndrome 27 years after injury, revealing bone mass density (BMD) osteoporosis of the left hip and osteopenia of the right hip. He was ambulatory for short distances with assistive devices. He started on alendronate 10mg/d, supplemented with vitamin D 400mg/d and calcium carbonate 500mg/d. Follow-up bone density conducted 12 and 24 months later revealed increases in spine and lower extremity BMD, with a greater BMD increase in the weaker lower extremity compared with the stronger one; the spine had the greatest increase overall. Improvement in bone density may be possible in patients with SCI with alendronate coupled with weight-bearing.

Sniger W, Garshick E.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002 Jan;83(1):139-40