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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
07:56
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Bone loss in adolescents after bariatric surgery
Anne-Marie D Kaulfers1, Judy A Bean, Thomas H Inge
1Division of Endocrinology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. akaulfers@usouthal.edu
Pediatrics
|March 30, 2011
Summary
Adolescents undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery experience significant bone loss, which is linked to weight loss. Bone mineral density may normalize after two years, but further monitoring is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Adolescent obesity is a growing concern, with bariatric surgery emerging as a treatment option.
- The long-term effects of bariatric surgery on bone health in adolescents are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate bone loss in adolescents following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.
- To determine the relationship between weight loss and bone loss after RYGB in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case review of 61 adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) used to measure whole-body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD).
- Analysis using mixed-models and regression, adjusted for age, gender, and height.
Main Results:
- Significant decreases in whole-body BMC, BMD z-scores, and weight were observed post-surgery (P < .0001).
- Over two years, predicted BMC decreased by 7.4%, and BMD z-score declined from 1.5 to 0.1.
- Weight loss correlated with BMC changes in the first year (r = 0.31, P = .02), accounting for 14% of the decrease.
Conclusions:
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is associated with substantial bone loss in adolescents.
- While bone density appeared age-appropriate at two years post-surgery, extended follow-up is necessary to assess long-term bone mass changes.
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