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Lower bone mineral mass seen in adolescents with leg, ankle fractures
Researchers found a significant difference in bone mineral mass in the injured limb of adolescents after a leg or ankle fracture, and that difference continued until a full recovery at 18-month follow-up.
“Bone mineral loss following a fracture of the lower limb in adolescents is highly significant and affects the lower limb both proximal to and distal to the fracture site,” Dimitri Ceroni, MD, and colleagues wrote in the study abstract. “In contrast to observations in adults, a rapid bone mass reversal occurs with full bone recovery by 18 months.”
Ceroni and colleagues took dual X-ray absorptiometry scans of 50 adolescents at fracture incidence, cast removal, 3-month follow-up and 18-month follow-up, according to the abstract. The X-rays were taken at the total hip, femoral neck, entire lower limb, calcaneus and then compared to the bone mineral mass in the uninjured limb.
At cast removal, there was a significant difference in bone mineral mass between injured and noninjured limbs ranging from 6.2% to 31.7%, and this significant difference continues at 6-month follow-up. At 18-month follow-up, there was no significant difference between injured and noninjured limbs, according to the abstract.
Disclosure: The authors received a grant from the Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation to conduct this study.