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Bone mineralization and physical development of children

Larisa A Scheplyagina1, Tatyana Y Moisseyeva

  • 1Research Center of Child Health, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia. cheply@online.ru

Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science
|August 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in children aged 5-16 increase with age. Lower height and mass correlate with decreased BMC and BMD, highlighting the importance of physical development for bone health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Orthopedics
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Assessing bone mineral density (BMD) and physical development in children is crucial for monitoring skeletal health.
  • Cross-sectional studies provide valuable data on age-specific reference ranges for bone parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and physical development in children aged 5 to 16 years.
  • To establish correlations between bone parameters and anthropometric measurements in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 357 children (194 boys, 163 girls) aged 5-16.
  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) was used to measure bone mineral content (BMC) and BMD.
  • Exclusion criteria included children with chronic diseases or professional athletes.

Main Results:

  • Bone mineral content (BMC) and BMD significantly increased with age in the pediatric cohort.
  • BMC showed strong correlations with body height (r=0.8) and body mass (r=0.7).
  • Children with lower body height and mass (<10th percentile) exhibited the lowest BMC, BMD, and Z-score values.

Conclusions:

  • Age-dependent increases in BMC and BMD are evident in children aged 5-16.
  • Anthropometric parameters, particularly height and mass, are closely associated with bone mineral accrual in children.
  • Lower physical development is linked to reduced bone mineral density, suggesting potential implications for long-term skeletal health.

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