In subacute and chronic stroke studies , the skeletal sites in the paretic limbs sustained a more pronounced decline in bone quality than did their counterparts in the non-paretic limbs .
The rate of changes showed a decelerating trend as post-stroke duration increased , but the timing of achieving the steady rate differed across skeletal sites .
The magnitude of bone changes in the paretic upper limb was more pronounced than the paretic lower limb .
There was a strong relationship between muscle strength/mass and bone density/strength index .
Muscle spasticity seemed to have a negative impact on bone integrity in the paretic upper limb , but its influence on bone properties in the paretic lower limb was uncertain .
Substantial bone changes in the paretic limbs occurred particularly in the first few months after stroke onset .
Early intervention , muscle strength training , and long-term management strategies may be important to enhance bone health post-stroke .
To systematic ally review available evidence related to the characteristics of bone changes  post-stroke and the relationship between various aspects of muscle function ( e.g. , strength , spasticity ) and bone properties after stroke onset .
Skeletal and body composition changes in hemiplegic patients.
Hemiplegic patients are prone to bone loss and alterations in fat and lean mass , which ultimately affect their rehabilitation status and propensity in bone fractures . The present study aim ed to evaluate body composition and bone mineral density ( BMD ) in stroke patients within 1st year post-stroke . Fifty-eight hemiplegic patients ( 36 men and 22 women ) were enrolled in this prospect i ve study . Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess total-body and lower-extremity BMDs ( g/cm(2 ) ) , lean mass ( g ) , and fat mass ( g ) after 3 , 6 and 12 mo of stroke that led to hemiplegia . The Modified Ashworth Scale and the functional ambulation category were used to evaluate spasticity and ambulatory category of patients , respectively . Both sexes exhibited total-body and paretic lower-limb BMD loss , fat mass gain , and lean mass waste during the 1st 12 mo poststroke , and in most cases , statistically significant differences were found between 3 and 6 mo ; however , the pattern of changes was different between males and females . Therefore , it is suggested that disability because of hemiplegia led to alterations in muscle function , which triggered skeletal and body composition changes and rendered these patients particularly prone to increased fracture risk
In subacute and chronic stroke studies , the skeletal sites in the paretic limbs sustained a more pronounced decline in bone quality than did their counterparts in the non-paretic limbs .
The rate of changes showed a decelerating trend as post-stroke duration increased , but the timing of achieving the steady rate differed across skeletal sites .
The magnitude of bone changes in the paretic upper limb was more pronounced than the paretic lower limb .
There was a strong relationship between muscle strength/mass and bone density/strength index .
Muscle spasticity seemed to have a negative impact on bone integrity in the paretic upper limb , but its influence on bone properties in the paretic lower limb was uncertain .
Substantial bone changes in the paretic limbs occurred particularly in the first few months after stroke onset .
Early intervention , muscle strength training , and long-term management strategies may be important to enhance bone health post-stroke .
To systematic ally review available evidence related to the characteristics of bone changes  post-stroke and the relationship between various aspects of muscle function ( e.g. , strength , spasticity ) and bone properties after stroke onset .