Bone status in relation to ambulatory performance in girls with Rett syndrome: a 10-year longitudinal study

Low bone mass is a frequent and early complication of girls with Rett syndrome. As a consequence of the low bone mass, Rett patients are at an increased risk of fragility fractures. This study aimed to investigate the long-term influences of mobility on bone status in girls with Rett syndrome.

In 58 girls with Rett syndrome, biochemical parameters and quantitative ultrasound parameters at phalanges (amplitude-dependent speed of sound: AD-SoS and bone transmission time: BTT) were measured at baseline and after 5 and 10 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: nonambulatory (n = 28) and ambulatory (n = 30).

In nonambulatory Rett subjects, the values of AD-SoS and BTT were significantly lower than in ambulatory Rett subjects at each time point. However, during the 10-year follow-up both ambulatory and nonambulatory Rett patients showed a similar worsening in their bone status.

This longitudinal study suggests that both ambulatory and nonambulatory Rett subjects present a progressive deterioration of bone status as assessed by quantitative ultrasound parameters, and the ambulatory impairment and the nutritional status seem to play a key role in the deterioration of bone status.