Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences on calcified tissues
Bone Abstracts (2013) 1 PP294 | DOI: 10.1530/boneabs.1.PP294

ECTS2013 Poster Presentations Muscle, physical activity and bone (26 abstracts)

Influence of mechanical loading and skeleton geometry in bone mass at the proximal femur in 10–12 years old children: a longitudinal study

Graça Cardadeiro 1 , Fátima Baptista 1 , Nicolleta Rosati 3 , Vera Zymbal 1 , Lurdes Rebocho 1 , Paula M Bruno 2 , Kathleen F Janz 4, & Luís B Sardinha 1


1Exercise and Health Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Movement, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; 2Division of Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance, Faculty of Human Movement, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; 3Department of Mathematics, Economics and Business Institute, Technical University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; 4Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, USA; 5Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, USA.


Using a longitudinal observational study with two evaluations and a 1 year follow-up interval, we investigated the influence of everyday physical activity (PA) and skeletal geometry in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mass distribution at the proximal femur (PF) in 96 girls and 81 boys (10–12 years). Whole body and left hip DXA scans were used to derive geometric measures of the pelvis (inter acetabular distance – IAD) and PF (abductor lever arm – ALA). BMD was measured at the integral, superolateral (SL), and inferomedial (IM) femoral neck (FN), and at the trochanter (TR). These sub regions were used to represent bone mass distribution via three BMD ratios – FN:PF, IM:SL, and TR:PF. PA was measured using the bone-specific PA questionnaire (BPAQ). Maturity was estimated as the years to peak height velocity. A longitudinal panel data approach was adopted to estimate random-effects of generalized least squares regression models with BMDs and BMD ratios as dependent variables. Total lean (P<0.001) and BPAQ (P<0.05) were both significant positive predictors of all BMD variables, except BPAQ in girls’ TR BMD and in boys’ FN BMDs (>0.05). In addition, geometric variables were significant in the models for the BMD ratios. In girls, the IAD was a positive predictor of TR:PF and ALA was a negative predictor of FN:PF (P<0.001). In boys, the IAD was a positive predictor of FN:PF (P<0.01) and IM:SL (P<0.05) and ALA was a negative predictor of the IM:SL (P<0.001). The interaction of IAD*ALA predicted IM:SL variation positively in girls and negatively in boys (P<0.01). In conclusion, geometric measures of IAD and ALA which are indicators of the main lever arms of the biomechanics of the hip seem to play a role in the relative mineralization of the PF sub-regions. On the other hand, absolute BMD levels appear to be determined by mechanical loading.

Volume 1

European Calcified Tissue Society Congress 2013

Lisbon, Portugal
18 May 2013 - 22 May 2013

European Calcified Tissue Society 

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