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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Bone mineral acquisition in adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Laurie J Moyer-Mileur1, Sarah B Dixon, Jody L Quick
1The Center for Pediatric Nutrition Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84132, USA. laurie.moyer-mileur@hsc.utah.edu
Objective:
To track bone mineral acquisition in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (DM).
Study Design:
Subjects were adolescents, ages 12 to 18 years, with DM (n=42) and a healthy regional reference (n=199). Measurements of tibia bone characteristics by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and spine and whole body (WB) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), anthropometrics, and lifestyle questionnaires were obtained during a 12-month period. Disease duration, insulin dose, renal function, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values for the previous 12 months were recorded.
Results:
Body size and maturation were similar between groups. DM had lower tibia, spine, and WB bone characteristics but greater muscle mass (LBM) and lower bone mineral content (BMC)/LBM at baseline and 12 months. Annual gains for tibia cortical bone and WB BMC/LBM were lower and inversely related to HbA1c levels (R=-0.36 to -0.51), whereas spine area and density and WBLBM were greater and were predicted by pubertal-driven growth. Overall, the DM cohort had 8.5% less WB BMC/LBM, suggesting that bone mineral deposition was not adequately adapted to muscle gains.
Conclusions:
Adolescents with type 1 diabetes continue to have smaller bone mass and bone size despite normal growth and maturation. Poor metabolic control appears to negatively influence bone mineral acquisition.
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