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Published on: January 29, 2018
Bone quantity and quality in Brazilian female schoolchildren and adolescents
Keila Donassolo Santos1, Edio Luiz Petroski, Roberto Regis Ribeiro
1Research Center of Physical Education in Kinanthropometry and Human Performance, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC, Brazil.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to evaluate quantitative ultrasound parameters of the finger phalanges bones (AD-SoS, amplitude-dependent speed of sound, and BTT, bone transmission time) of schoolchildren, using a DBM Sonic device (IGEA, Carpi, Italy), to obtain normative values for the Brazilian population. The sample consisted of 1,775 healthy schoolchildren, all females, aged 8-17 years. We observed a progressive increase for the variables of weight, height, body mass index (BMI), AD-SoS, and BTT with advancing age. Results for AD-SoS showed increasing and significant variation from 8 to 17 years old (1,938-2,103 m/s, an increase of 8.52%, P < 0.0001), and also for BTT (0.84-1.45 micros, an increase of 72.6%, P < 0.0001). A gradual increase in the values of AD-SoS and BTT was observed with advances in pubertal stages. There was an interaction between the variables of age, height, and pubertal stages, predicting AD-SoS (R (2) = 0.49) and BTT (R (2) = 0.53). The study showed that AD-SoS and BTT, evaluated by means of bone ultrasonometry of the phalanges in females, increase gradually with age, being more evident during puberty, probably as a reflex of the structural organization of bone growth and development, or changes in the content of the bone tissue.
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