Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies
06:53

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies

Published on: July 4, 2017

Orthopedic complications related to growth hormone therapy in a pediatric population

Rachid K Haidar1, Mona P Nasrallah, Asdghig H Der-Boghossian

  • 1Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. rh00@aub.edu.lb

Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics. Part B
|September 3, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Recombinant growth hormone therapy for short stature may cause orthopedic issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and slipped capital femoral epiphysis in children. This review summarizes their incidence and pathogenesis in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Orthopedic Complications
  • Pharmacovigilance

Background:

  • Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is widely used for short stature.
  • Its role in bone growth is significant, leading to expanded therapeutic indications.
  • Understanding potential adverse effects is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review orthopedic complications associated with rhGH treatment in pediatric patients.
  • To summarize incidence rates of these complications from pharmacovigilance studies.
  • To discuss the pathogenesis of these adverse events in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pharmacovigilance studies on growth hormone therapy.
  • Focused analysis on orthopedic complications.
  • Summarization of incidence rates and review of pathogenetic mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Identified orthopedic complications include carpal tunnel syndrome, Legg-Calve-Perthes' disease, scoliosis, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
  • Incidence rates from various studies are presented.
  • Discussion on the occurrence within pediatric and adolescent age groups.

Conclusions:

  • Growth hormone therapy, while beneficial, carries risks of specific orthopedic complications.
  • Further research into pathogenesis and risk mitigation is warranted.
  • Monitoring for these adverse events is essential in pediatric patients undergoing rhGH treatment.

More Related Videos

Tricolor Transgenic Murine Model for Studying Growth Plate Injury07:58

Tricolor Transgenic Murine Model for Studying Growth Plate Injury

Published on: September 6, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Complications of Diabetes Mellitus01:22

Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency, resistance, or both. Prolonged hyperglycemia disrupts metabolic homeostasis and leads to acute and chronic complications.Acute ComplicationsAcute complications result from sudden metabolic imbalance.Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) mainly appears in type 1 diabetes but may also develop in type 2 diabetes, particularly under extreme stress. It arises from severe insulin deficiency,...
Bone Disorders01:29

Bone Disorders

Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Adrenal Gland Disorders01:27

Adrenal Gland Disorders

Adrenal gland disorders manifest when the production of adrenal hormones deviates from the norm, resulting in either excessive or insufficient concentrations.
Adrenal insufficiency, characterized by insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production, leads to conditions like Addison's disease. This disorder, affecting the adrenal cortex, exhibits symptoms such as skin bronzing, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, and weight loss. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic ailment causing...
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...