Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 1, 2026
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Osteoporosis in childhood
Francesco Vierucci1, Giuseppe Saggese, Rolando Cimaz
1aPediatric Unit, St. Luca Hospital, Lucca bPediatric Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa cUnit of Pediatric Rheumatology, Meyer Children's Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Insights
Early diagnosis of pediatric osteoporosis is crucial for children at risk of fractures. Bisphosphonates are a key medical treatment, but optimal use and long-term safety require further study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
Background:
- Pediatric osteoporosis involves genetic factors and chronic diseases impacting bone mass acquisition.
- Recent discoveries include monogenic bone disorders with reduced bone mineral density and increased fragility.
- Chronic conditions and their treatments can impair bone development in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric osteoporosis.
- To highlight key findings regarding genetic influences and disease associations.
- To discuss current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature on pediatric osteoporosis.
- Analysis of findings related to genetic factors, bone disorders, and chronic disease impacts.
- Evaluation of diagnostic techniques and treatment protocols, particularly bisphosphonates.
Main Results:
- Several genes influence bone mass acquisition; new monogenic bone disorders have been identified.
- Vertebral fracture detection is key for diagnosis, independent of bone densitometry.
- Dual X-ray absorptiometry is common but requires cautious interpretation in children.
- Bisphosphonates are a primary treatment, with various protocols proposed, but optimal administration and long-term safety need more research.
Conclusions:
- Early diagnosis through careful monitoring of at-risk children is essential.
- Bisphosphonate therapy should be considered for children with persistent risk factors and poor prognosis.
- Further research is needed to optimize bisphosphonate treatment and assess long-term safety.
Purpose Of Review:
The aim of this review is to highlight recent findings in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric osteoporosis.
Recent Findings:
Several genes are involved in bone mass acquisition, and various monogenic bone disorders characterized by reduced bone mineral density and increased bone fragility have been recently described. Moreover, many chronic diseases and/or their treatment have been associated with impaired bone mass acquisition. Pediatric osteoporosis should be adequately suspected and properly diagnosed in children at risk of fractures. Particularly, detection of vertebral fracture allows the diagnosis regardless of densitometric evaluation. Dual X-ray absorptiometry remains the most widely used densitometric technique in childhood, but interpretation of results should be made with caution because of different confounding factors. Bisphosphonates represent one of the main medical treatments of pediatric osteoporosis, and many different protocols have been proposed. Bisphosphonates administration should be characterized by a first phase, followed by a period of maintenance. Optimal route of administration, duration of therapy, and long-term safety of bisphosphonates treatment require further investigation.
Summary:
Careful monitoring of children at risk of fractures is essential to pose early diagnosis of osteoporosis. In children with persistent risk factors and reduced probability of spontaneous recovery, medical treatment with bisphosphonates should be considered.
More Related Videos
06:59Author Spotlight: An Economic and Efficient Method for Quantitative Evaluation of Bone Microarchitecture in a Murine Osteoporosis Model
Published on: September 8, 2023
07:12Semiautomated Longitudinal Microcomputed Tomography-based Quantitative Structural Analysis of a Nude Rat Osteoporosis-related Vertebral Fracture Model
Published on: September 28, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:29Bone Disorders
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...
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
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...
01:40Bone Remodeling
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
01:27Signs of Puberty