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Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Walking age does not explain term versus preterm difference in bone geometry.
Haifa Abou Samra1, Bonny Specker
1EA Martin Program in Human Nutrition, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|June 26, 2007
Summary
Former preterm boys exhibit distinct bone geometry, with larger bone circumference and thinner cortical bone, linked to activity levels, not walking age. These bone differences were not observed in girls.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Bone Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Orthopedic Research
Background:
- Preterm birth can impact long-term skeletal development.
- Understanding bone geometry differences in relation to developmental milestones is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between bone geometry and the onset of walking in children born at term versus preterm.
- To determine if differences in walking age explain bone geometry variations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 128 preschool children (3-5 years).
- Peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) used for distal tibia bone size assessment.
- Linear models stratified by sex analyzed bone geometry in relation to birth status and walking age.
Main Results:
- Children born preterm walked later than term-born children, but gestation-corrected walking age did not differ.
- Preterm boys showed larger periosteal and endosteal circumferences and smaller cortical thickness and area compared to term-born boys.
- These bone differences in preterm boys remained significant after accounting for walking age but were explained by current activity levels.
Conclusions:
- Former preterm boys, unlike girls, displayed altered bone geometry (larger circumference, thinner cortex).
- These bone geometry differences in preterm boys are primarily attributed to current physical activity levels.
- Walking age does not appear to be the primary driver of observed bone geometry differences in former preterm children.
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