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Childhood onset arthritis is associated with an increased risk of fracture: a population based study using the

J M Burnham1, J Shults, R Weinstein

  • 1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Room 1579 CHOP North, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. burnhams@email.chop.edu

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
|April 22, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Childhood arthritis significantly increases fracture risk across all age groups. Further research is vital to understand bone health in these patients and develop effective prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Rheumatology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Childhood onset arthritis is linked to reduced bone mass and strength.
  • Understanding the long-term skeletal consequences of early-onset arthritis is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between childhood onset arthritis and the risk of fractures.
  • To quantify fracture risk across different age groups in individuals with a history of childhood arthritis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study utilizing the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database.
  • Inclusion of individuals with arthritis onset between 1 and 19 years of age, with age and sex-matched controls.
  • Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for first fracture calculated using Mantel-Haenszel methods and Poisson regression.

Main Results:

  • 1939 subjects with childhood arthritis and 207,072 controls were analyzed.
  • A higher incidence of first fractures was observed in the arthritis cohort (6.7%) compared to controls (3.3%).
  • Significantly elevated fracture risk (IRR) was noted, particularly in adolescents (10-15 years: 3.13) and older adults (>45 years: 3.97).

Conclusions:

  • Childhood onset arthritis is associated with a clinically significant increase in fracture risk throughout life.
  • Urgent research is needed to identify factors contributing to bone abnormalities and to develop targeted prevention and treatment strategies for childhood arthritis patients.
Abstract

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