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Bone growth patterns in Chinese children and adolescents: a 6-year follow-up study provides evidence for sexual dimorphism and tracking

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Abstract

Summary

We prospectively examined bone growth patterns in 894 children aged 6–17 years at the baseline visit, with a 6-year follow-up. Results show bone “tracking” over a six-year interval and sexual dimorphism of bone attained levels and timing of peak bone growth. Our findings underscore childhood and adolescence as critical periods for building bone and developing gender differences.

Introduction

Bone growth patterns were prospectively examined in 894 Chinese children (496 males), aged 6–17 yrs, from a population-based twin cohort. Whole-body bone area (BA), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by DEXA at baseline and a 6-yr follow-up.

Methods

Graphic smoothing plots and generalized estimating equations were used to model bone attained levels, growth, and “tracking”.

Results

Attained levels of BMC and BA increased curvilinearly with age. Male attained levels were higher than females after age ∼15 yr, but BMD was lower between 13–17 yrs (Tanner stage I to IV). In both genders, peak BMC and BMD growth lagged ∼2 yrs behind peak BA growth, which lagged 2 yrs behind peak height growth. Peak bone growth occurred 1–3 yrs later in males. Over the 6-yr follow-up, all bone measurements “tracked”, but “shifting” across ranks also occurred, and baseline tertile ranking influenced bone growth. Females with early menarche had higher attained levels than females with late menarche at age 12–13 yrs.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm and expand previous studies on peak bone growth conducted in Caucasian cohorts, particularly sexually dimorphic and maturational effects. The significant “tracking” of bone measurements in this 6-yr follow-up study underscores the importance that osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood and adolescence.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

DEXA:

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

SD:

Standard deviation

BMC:

Bone mineral content,

BMD:

Bone mineral density

BA:

Bone area

CI:

Confidence interval

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have a conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mary Ann and J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Children’s Memorial Hospital and Children’s Memorial Research Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Fengxiu Ouyang, Binyan Wang & Xiaobin Wang

  2. Center for Population Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA

    Lester M. Arguelles & Xiping Xu

  3. Institute for Biomedicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China

    Jianhua Yang, Zhiping Li, Liuliu Wang, Xue Liu, Genfu Tang & Houxun Xing

  4. Division of Kidney Diseases, and Developmental Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Children’s Memorial Research Center and Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA

    Craig Langman

  5. The Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Children’s Memorial Research Center, 2300 Children’s Plaza - Box 157, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA

    Xiaobin Wang

Authors
  1. Fengxiu Ouyang
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  2. Binyan Wang
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  3. Lester M. Arguelles
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  9. Genfu Tang
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  10. Houxun Xing
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  11. Craig Langman
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  12. Xiaobin Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaobin Wang.

Additional information

Fengxiu Ouyang and Binyan Wang contributed equally to this article.

Source(s) of support: This study is supported in part by grant R01 HD049059, R01 HL0864619 and R01 AR045651 from the National Institute of Health and by the Food Allergy Project.

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Ouyang, F., Wang, B., Arguelles, L.M. et al. Bone growth patterns in Chinese children and adolescents: a 6-year follow-up study provides evidence for sexual dimorphism and tracking. Arch Osteoporos 2, 29–43 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-007-0015-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-007-0015-8

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