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Published on: January 29, 2018
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Does Visceral or Subcutaneous Fat Influence Peripheral Cortical Bone Strength During Adolescence? A Longitudinal
Natalie A Glass1, James C Torner2, Elena M Letuchy2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA.
Summary
Adolescent bone strength is linked to body fat differently in girls and boys. Visceral fat negatively impacts girls' bone strength, while boys with more overall and central fat have weaker bones.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Bone and mineral metabolism
- Body composition analysis
Background:
- Adolescence is a critical period for bone mass acquisition.
- Body fat distribution, including visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), may influence bone strength.
- Understanding sex-specific relationships between fat deposition and bone development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal associations between visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and peripheral bone strength (Strength-Strain Index, SSI) during adolescence.
- To examine sex-specific differences in these relationships.
- To explore the impact of adiposity measures on bone strength acquisition from ages 11 to 19.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 182 girls and 167 boys, aged 11–19 years.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) used to assess fat mass, lean mass, VAT, SAT, and android/gynoid (A/G) ratio.
- Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) used to estimate peripheral bone strength (SSI) at the radius and tibia.
- Linear mixed models applied, with biological age as the time variable, adjusted for limb length and lean mass.
Main Results:
- In girls, initial positive associations of fat mass and SAT with SSI were attenuated after lean mass adjustment. Negative associations emerged between VAT and SSI (radial and tibial) in full models.
- In boys, fat mass and SAT showed negative associations with radial SSI, both before and after lean mass adjustment. No significant association was found between VAT and SSI.
- In obese boys, a higher A/G ratio was negatively associated with radial SSI, independent of lean mass.
Conclusions:
- A negative relationship exists between peripheral bone strength and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in adolescent girls.
- Greater total and central adiposity are associated with reduced peripheral bone strength in adolescent boys.
- These findings highlight distinct sex-specific roles of fat distribution in adolescent bone strength development.
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