Participants undergo an annual history and physical with serum profiles including sophisticated lipid profiles. Psychological, support and functional profiles are conducted at five year intervals. Preliminary Results Examinations have been performed on 742 participants with chronological ages ranging from 18 to 83, durations of injury ranging from one to 57 years, and ages at injury ranging from less than one to 65. Lipid profiles of spinal cord individuals indicate higher risk at younger ages than the general population. Level of injury, gender, age at injury and ethnicity are differentially associated with lipid profiles.
Pulmonary function varies with age and level of injury.
Bone loss at the knee is rapid and extreme within 18 months of injury and continues as expected with age resulting in fracture thresholds being reached at earlier ages than the general population. Bone density in the lumbar spine of spinal cord individuals without other mitigating conditions increases with injury duration.