Does childhood and adolescence fracture influence bone mineral content in young adulthood?

Abstract

Previous fracture may predispose an individual to bone fragility because of impaired bone mineral accrual. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the influence of fractures sustained during childhood and (or) adolescence on total body (TB), lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) bone mineral content (BMC) in young adulthood. It was hypothesized that there would be lower TB, LS, FN, and TH BMC in participants who had sustained a pediatric fracture. Participant anthropometrics, physical activity, and BMC (measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) were assessed longitudinally during childhood and adolescence (from 1991 to 1997), and again in young adulthood (2002 to 2006). Sex, adult height, adult lean mass, adult physical activity, and adolescent BMC adjusted TB, LS, FN, and TH BMC in young adulthood, for those who reported 1 or more fractures (n = 42), were compared with those who reported no fractures (n = 101). There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in adjusted BMC between fracture and nonfracture groups at the TB, LS, FN, and TH sites in young adulthood. These results suggest that fractures sustained during childhood and adolescence may not interfere with bone mass in young adulthood at clinically relevant bone sites.