Growth patterns at distal radius and tibial shaft in pubertal girls: a 2-year longitudinal study.

Bone changes, in terms of both size and BMD, were assessed longitudinally in pubertal girls. Before puberty, BMD at the distal radius declined, whereas bone size increased, suggesting that normal growing girls experience a transient period of increased bone fragility. This could explain the elevated low-trauma forearm fracture rates reported in earlier studies. Introduction: Longitudinal data on bone growth during puberty are sparse. Such information is needed to understand the sequence of biological changes, the physical and mechanical consequences for the growing skeleton, and the implications for later life. Materials and Methods: The geometric properties and volumetric BMD (vBMD) of the…

Serum osteocalcin is not associated with glucose but is inversely associated with leptin across generations of nondiabetic women.

The skeleton is recognized as an important player in energy metabolism through its interactions with other tissues. Whether the association of osteocalcin with glucose metabolism is age dependent has not been fully addressed.The objective of the study was to examine the age-specific association between different forms of osteocalcin and glucose and adipokines.This was a family-based study across three generations.The study was conducted at a university laboratory.Sixty-four daughter-premenopausal mother-maternal grandmother trios participated in the study.Fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, serum total (tOC), carboxylated (cOC), and uncarboxylated (ucOC = tOC - cOC) osteocalc…

Assessment of the tibia using ultrasonic guided waves in pubertal girls

The purpose of this study was to compare low frequency ultrasonic guided wave measurements with established ultrasound and bone density measurements in terms of their ability to characterize the tibia in pubertal girls. Subjects were 12-14-year-old girls ( n=106) who were participating in a calcium and vitamin D intervention study. A prototype low frequency pulse transmission device consisting of a uniaxial scanning mechanism and low frequency transducers orientated perpendicularly to the limb was used to measure two ultrasound velocities in the tibia. The first velocity, V1, was that of the first arriving signal, similar to that measured by existing commercial tibial ultrasound devices. Th…

COL1A1 Sp1 polymorphism associates with bone density in early puberty.

Optimal acquisition of bone mass in puberty is a key determinant of the lifetime risk of osteoporosis and has a strong genetic basis. We investigated the relationship between the COL1A1 Sp1 polymorphism and BMD in early puberty, and how the genotypes relate to bone size and geometry as well as bone turnover and material properties in 247 10- to 13-year-old girls. Bone properties were measured using DXA, pQCT, and ultrasound. Also, serum P1NP, OC, B-ALP, and TRACP 5b were assessed. Our results showed that girls with the TT genotype had significantly lower BMC and BMD of the total body, lumbar spine, and proximal femur, as well as BUA at the calcaneus, than those with the GT and GG genotype. …

Bone’s Structural Diversity in Adult Females Is Established before Puberty

Bone must be rigid for leverage yet light for mobility. We studied how bone modeling and remodeling fashioned differences in bone size, shape, and mass during growth to achieve these properties in adulthood.We measured the structural features of a tibial cross-section using quantitative computed tomography and markers of remodeling in 258 10- to 13-yr-old girls during 2 yr and in 108 of their mothers.Tibia total cross-sectional area and mass correlated between daughters and their mothers (r = 0.34 and 0.44, respectively, both P0.01). The location of a daughter's tibial total cross-sectional area, medullar area, and bone mass in the lower, middle, or upper part of the sample distribution was…

Corrigendum to “Low volumetric BMD is linked to upper-limb fracture in pubertal girls and persists into adulthood: A seven-year cohort study” [Bone 45 (2009) 480-486]

a Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland b Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland c Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA d Endocrine Centre, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Austin Health/Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia e Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Oulu University Hospital and Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Monitoring bone growth using quantitative ultrasound in comparison with DXA and pQCT.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a safe, inexpensive, and nonradiation method for bone density assessment. QUS correlates with, and predicts fragility fractures comparable to, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. However, its validity in monitoring bone growth in children is not well understood. Two hundred and fifty-eight 10-13 yr pubertal girls and 9 37-43 yr adults without diseases or history of medications known to affect bone metabolism were included in the 2-yr prospective study. Calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (cBUA) was assessed using QUS-2 (Quidel, Santa Clara, CA), speed of sound of tibial shaft (tSOS) using …

Is bone loss the reversal of bone accrual? Evidence from a cross-sectional study in daughter-mother-grandmother trios.

Bone adapts to mechanical loads applied on it. During aging, loads decrease to a greater extent at those skeletal sites where loads increase most in earlier life. Thus, the loss of bone may occur preferentially at sites where most bone has been deposited previously; ie, bone loss could be the directional reversal of accrual. To test this hypothesis, we compared the bone mass distribution at weight-bearing (tibia) and non-weight-bearing (radius) bones among 18-year-old girls, their premenopausal mothers, and their postmenopausal maternal grandmothers. Bone and muscle properties were measured by pQCT, and polar distribution of bone mass was obtained in 55 girl-mother–maternal grandmother trio…

Differential effects of sex hormones on peri- and endocortical bone surfaces in pubertal girls.

Context: The role of sex steroids in bone growth in pubertal girls is not yet clear. Bone biomarkers are indicators of bone metabolic activity, but their value in predicting bone quality has not been studied in growing girls. Objective: This study examines the association of sex hormones and bone markers with bone geometry and density in pubertal girls. Design: The study was designed as a 2-yr longitudinal study in pubertal girls. Measurements were performed at baseline and at 1and 2-yr follow-ups. Setting: The study was conducted in a university laboratory. Participants: A total of 258 10- to 13-yr-old healthy girls at the baseline participated. Methods:Peripheralquantitativecomputedtomogr…

Concerted actions of insulin-like growth factor 1, testosterone, and estradiol on peripubertal bone growth: a 7-year longitudinal study.

A better understanding of how bone growth is regulated during peripuberty is important for optimizing the attainment of peak bone mass and for the prevention of osteoporosis in later life. In this report we used hierarchical models to evaluate the associations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), estradiol (E(2) ), and testosterone (T) with peripubertal bone growth in a 7-year longitudinal study. Two-hundred and fifty-eight healthy girls were assessed at baseline (mean age 11.2 years) and at 1, 2, 3.5, and 7 years. Serum concentrations of IGF-1, E(2) , and T were determined. Musculoskeletal properties in the left lower leg were measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography …

Low volumetric BMD is linked to upper-limb fracture in pubertal girls and persists into adulthood: A seven-year cohort study

Abstract The aetiology of increased incidence of fracture during puberty is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether low volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the distal radius is associated with upper-limb fractures in growing girls, and whether any such vBMD deficit persists into adulthood. Fracture history from birth to 20 years was obtained and verified by medical records in 1034 Finnish girls aged 10–13 years. Bone density and geometry at distal radius, biomarkers and lifestyle/behavioural factors were assessed in a subset of 396 girls with a 7.5-year follow-up. We found that fracture incidence peaked during puberty (relative risk 3.1 at age of 8–14 years compared to outside …

Relationship of sex hormones to bone geometric properties and mineral density in early pubertal girls.

This study aimed to evaluate the associations among serum 17beta-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), bone geometric properties, and mineral density in 248 healthy girls between the ages of 10 and 13 yr old. The left tibial shaft was measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (Stratec XCT-2000; Stratec Medizintechnik, GmbH, Pforzheim, Germany). The cortical bone and marrow cavity areas were expressed as proportions of the total tibial cross-sectional area (CSA). Cortical thickness and total volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) were also determined. These tibial geometric and densitometric measures were correlated against the serum sex hormone…

Familial resemblance and diversity in bone mass and strength in the population are established during the first year of postnatal life

Familial resemblance and diversity in bone structure and strength in adulthood are determined in part during growth. Whether these characteristics are established during gestation or shortly after birth is not known. Total-body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck size and mass and indices of tibial bending strength and distal radial compressive strength were measured using bone densitometry and quantitative computed tomography in 236 girls at 18.5 years of age. Among them, 219, 141, and 105 girls had crown-heel length (CHL) and weight recorded at birth and at 6 and 12 months of age, and then height and weight were recorded at 3, 5, 10, 13, and 15 years of age in 181, 176, 127, 111, and 228 girl…

Association Between Exercise and Pubertal BMD Is Modulated by Estrogen Receptor α Genotype

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to bone mass, but the ways they interact remain poorly understood. This study of 245 pre- and early pubertal girls found that the PvuII polymorphism in the ER- gene modulates the effect of exercise on BMD at loaded bone sites. Introduction: Impaired achievement of bone mass at puberty is an important risk factor for the development of osteoporosis in later life. Genetic, as well as environmental, factors contribute to bone mass, but the ways they interact with each other remain poorly understood. Materials and Methods: We investigated the interaction between a PvuII polymorphism at the ER- gene and physical activity (PA) on the modulation of bone…

Growth and aging of proximal femoral bone - a study with women spanning three generations

Abstract. Osteoporotic hip fracture is a serious clinical event associated with high morbidity and mortality. Understanding femoral growth patterns is important for promoting bone health in the young and preventing fractures in later life. In this study, growth patterns of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and geometric properties of the proximal femur were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE Lunar Prodigy, USA). They were studied in 251 girls from premenarche (11.2±0.7 yrs) to late adolescence (18.3±1.1 yrs), and compared to their premenopausal mothers (n=128, aged 44.9±4.1 yrs) and postmenopausal grandmothers (n=128, aged 70.0±6.3 yrs). Hip axis length (HAL) was the first to …

Bone growth in pubertal girls : cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation of the association of sex hormones, physical activity, body composition, and muscle strength with bone mass and geometry

Strong bones are essential to overall health and quality of life. Optimizing peak bone mass during growth is a key strategy in preventing fragility fractures in later life. Understanding the biological process of bone growth and its regulators assumes the greatest importance in realizing this strategy. This study aimed to investigate bone growth in terms of bone size, bone mineral content (BMC) and volumetric mineral density (vBMD) and its relationship with sex hormones, physical activity (PA), body composition and muscle strength in pubertal girls. A total of 258 healthy girls aged 10-13 years were included in the 2-years observational study at baseline. The PA level was assessed using a q…

Bone and Muscle Development During Puberty in Girls: A Seven-Year Longitudinal Study

The growth of lean mass precedes that of bone mass, suggesting that muscle plays an important role in the growth of bone. However, to date, no study has directly followed the growth of bone and muscle size through puberty and into adulthood. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the growth of muscle size precedes that of bone size (width and length) and mass during puberty. Bone and muscle properties were measured using pQCT and DXA in 258 healthy girls at baseline (mean age, 11.2 yr) and 1-, 2-, 3-4- and 7-yr follow-up. Growth trends as a function of time relative to menarche were determined from prepuberty to early adulthood for tibial length (TL), total cross-sectional area (tCSA)…

Weight-bearing, muscle loading and bone mineral accrual in pubertal girls--a 2-year longitudinal study.

Abstract Objectives: The mechanical environment is considered to be the most important determinant of bone strength. Local muscle force, in turn, is regarded as the largest source of loading applied to bones. However, the effect of weight-bearing on bone mineral accrual is unclear. Comparing the relationship between muscle force and bone mineral content (BMC) in the upper and lower limbs provides a means of investigating this issue. Subjects and methods : The study group comprised 258 healthy girls aged 10–13 years old at baseline. BMC, lean body mass (LM) and fat body mass (FM) of total body were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and 2 years after. The maximal isomet…

Authors’ Response: Relationship of Sex Hormones to Bone Geometric Properties and Mineral Density in Early Pubertal Girls: Use of Correlation Analyses

Fat mass accumulation compromises bone adaptation to load in finnish women: A cross-sectional study spanning three generations

Body weight and lean mass correlate with bone mass, but the relationship between fat mass and bone remains elusive. The study population consisted of 396 girls and 138 premenopausal mothers and 114 postmenopausal grandmothers of these girls. Body composition and tibial length were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and bone traits were determined at the tibia using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in the girls at the ages of 11.2 ± 0.8, 13.2 ± 0.9, and 18.3 ± 1.0 years and in the mothers (44.7 ± 4.1 years) and grandmothers (70.7 ± 6.3 years). The values of relative bone strength index (RBSI), an index reflecting the ratio of bone strength to the load ap…