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Bone and collagen markers in paediatric practice
1Department of Paediatric Biochemistry, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK.
Insights
Biochemical markers of bone turnover offer early insights into growth and treatment response in children. These markers complement bone density measurements, aiding in the assessment of osteoporosis and fracture risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Biochemical markers of bone and collagen turnover are established predictors of osteoporosis and fracture risk in post-menopausal women.
- Their role in children, while less studied, is emerging as valuable for assessing bone turnover and growth disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the utility and limitations of biochemical markers in pediatric bone health.
- To explore their application in various childhood bone disorders.
- To evaluate their potential in monitoring treatment effects on bone turnover and growth.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on biochemical markers in pediatric bone disorders.
- Analysis of marker utility in reflecting bone turnover and growth.
- Assessment of marker sensitivity in detecting early treatment responses.
Main Results:
- Biochemical markers provide valuable information on recent bone turnover and growth in children.
- They serve as sensitive indicators of treatment response, often preceding changes in height velocity or bone mineral density.
- Their application is expanding in various pediatric bone conditions.
Conclusions:
- Biochemical markers are a useful adjunct to bone mineral density in pediatric bone assessment.
- They offer early detection of treatment efficacy or adverse effects on bone turnover and growth.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate their role in diverse pediatric bone disorders.
Abstract:
Biochemical markers of bone and collagen turnover have been found to be a valuable adjunct to measurements of bone mineral density in post-menopausal women in whom they appear to be independent predictors of osteoporosis and fracture risk. In children, they have been less extensively studied but have begun to find a similar complementary role in a number of disorders affecting bone turnover and growth. Although they may give helpful information in their reflection of recent bone turnover and growth in various disorders, their principal value appears to be in giving an early and sensitive indication of response to treatment, before changes in either height velocity or bone mineral density can be accurately determined. This review discusses the use and limitations of these markers in children, the clinical conditions in which they have been studied and their potential value in monitoring either beneficial or adverse effects of treatment on bone turnover and growth.