Growth and aging of proximal femoral bone: a study with women spanning three generations

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy has no impact on postpartum transient longitudinal changes in hip geometry in adolescent mothers: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial

We have previously demonstrated that calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during adolescent pregnancy reduces the magnitude of transient postpartum bone mass loss. In the present post hoc analysis, we further investigated the effect of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy in hip geometry throughout one year postpartum in Brazilian adolescents with low daily calcium intake (∼600 mg/d). Pregnant adolescents (14-19 years) were randomly assigned to receive calcium (600 mg/d) plus vitamin D3 (200 μg/d) or a placebo from 26 weeks of gestation until parturition. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry images were obtained at 5 (n 30 and 26 for calcium plus vitamin D and placebo, respectively), 20 (n 26 and 21) and 56 (n 18 and 12) weeks postpartum, and hip geometry parameters were analysed by Advanced Hip Assessment software. The effects of the intervention, time point and their interaction were assessed using repeated-measures mixed-effects models. No significant intervention effects or intervention × time interactions were observed on hip geometry parameters (P > 0·05). Time effects were observed in cross-sectional area, cross-sectional moment of inertia and section modulus parameters with decreases from the 5th to the 20th week postpartum followed by recovery from the 20th to the 56th week (P < 0·05). Our findings indicate that the postpartum period is associated with transient changes in the hip geometry of lactating adolescent mothers, regardless of the low calcium intake and the supplementation offered during pregnancy, suggesting that a physiological adaptation of these adolescents to low calcium intake is at play.

Familial Resemblance of Bone Health in Maternal Lineage Pairs and Triads: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

Female bone health is influenced by familial resemblance, health parameters and maturational periods (puberty and menopause); this combination has been researched using familial multi-generational cross-sectional studies.

AIM

This scoping review aimed to compile bone health research which uses sexually mature (grandmother-) mother-daughter pairs (and triads) and to determine the trends in its methodologies and familial comparisons.

METHODS

The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews was used. Extraction included study and population characteristics, methodology (with an emphasis on imaging) and family-based results.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies were included, and their generations were categorized into four developmental categories: late adolescent to young adult, pre-menopause, mixed-menopause, and post-menopause. Eleven different pair/triad combinations were observed; the most common was pre-menopausal daughters and post-menopausal mothers. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was the most utilized imaging modality, and the hip was the most imaged region of interest (ROI). Regardless of pairing, imaging modality and ROI, there was often a trend toward significant familial resemblance and heritability (h2 and h2L).

CONCLUSION

This scoping review highlights the trends in bone health linked to familial resemblance, as well as the importance of menopause and late adolescence. This review compiles the commonalities and challenges within these studies to inform future research.

Femoral neck-shaft angle and bone age in 4- to 24-year-olds based on 1005 EOS three-dimensional reconstructions

The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between femoral neck-shaft angles (NSAs) and skeletal maturity in EOS reconstructions from a large population of children. Full-body three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were generated from 1005 children and young adults (4-24 years old; 449 male, 556 female) using the EOS three-dimensional/3D scanner, with images taken during routine clinical practice. The true NSAs were measured and assessed for correlation with individuals' chronological age and bone age, based on cervical vertebral morphology. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman correlation, independent t-test and multiple linear regression. NSAs of older and younger individuals within each bone age group and chronological age were further assessed by t-test. NSA values fell from mean 131.89° ± 6.07° at 4 years old to 128.85° ± 4.46° at the age of 16, with only minor decreases thereafter. Significantly higher NSAs (3.16° and 4.45°, respectively) were found in those with a bone age advanced or delayed by more two or more stages compared to their peers of the same chronological age (P < 0.001; P < 0.001). Similarly, within most bone age stages, individuals of advanced or delayed chronological age exhibited elevated values (mean difference ranged from 2.9° to 8.9°, P < 0.05). Incorporation of bone age assessment into proximal femoral evaluation allowed identification of 'fast maturing' and 'slow maturing' sub-categories in developing children, with different expected NSAs. The earlier ossification seen in faster-maturing individuals may lead to the NSA becoming fixed in a more immature valgus conformation.

Play During Growth: the Effect of Sports on Bone Adaptation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The development of exercise interventions for bone health requires an understanding of normative growth trends. Here, we summarize changes in bone during growth and the effect of participating in sports on structural and compositional measures in different bones in males and females.

RECENT FINDINGS

Growing females and males have similar normalized density and bone area fraction until age 16, after which males continue increasing at a faster rate than females. All metrics for both sexes tend to plateau or decline in the early 20s. Areal BMD measures indicate significant heterogeneity in adaptation to sport between regions of the body. High-resolution CT data indicate changes in structure are more readily apparent than changes in density. While adaptation to sport is spatially heterogeneous, participation in weight-bearing activities that involve dynamic muscle contractions tends to result in increased bone adaptation.

The effect of pubertal timing, as reflected by height tempo, on proximal femur shape: Findings from a population-based study in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between pubertal timing (using measures of height tempo) and proximal femur shape in a large adolescent cohort.

METHODS

Hip DXA scans were obtained in offspring from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. To quantify hip morphology, the images were analyzed using Shape software based on a 53-point statistical shape model and independent modes of variation (hip shape mode (HSM) scores) for each image were generated. Height tempo (which corresponds to age at peak height velocity (aPHV)) was estimated from serial height measurements collected between age 5-20 years. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine cross-sectional associations between height tempo and the top ten HSMs at age 14 and 18, adjusting for sex and fat mass index (FMI).

RESULTS

Complete outcome and covariate data were available from 3827 and 3507 participants at age 14 and 18 years, respectively. Mean aPHV was 13.5 and 11.8 years for males and females, respectively. At age 14, height tempo was associated with a majority of modes, except for HSM4 and there was strong evidence of interaction by sex. In males, all modes showed evidence of an association with tempo, independent of FMI, with the strongest observed for HSM8 (adjusted β 0.38 (0.33, 0.43) p = 4.1 × 10-50). Compared with males, the associations were generally weaker in females, with the strongest effect observed for HSM8 (adjusted β 0.10 (0.05, 0.14) p = 1.6 × 10-5). The overall effect of later pubertal timing on proximal femur shape in males was a narrower femoral neck and larger superolateral head, whereas in females these changes were hard to discern. When assessed at age 18, there was little relationship between tempo and proximal femur shape in either sex.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that significant changes in hip shape occur during puberty, including aspects of shape which may be related to future risk of hip OA and/or fracture. However, puberty timing per se does not appear to exert long lasting effects on proximal femur shape.

The Hip Morphology Changes with Ageing in Asian Population

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to determine the changing in hip anatomy parameters with age and reveals the reason for the extorsion of lower extremity in the aged.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and forty patients who had received imaging check of the femur and acetabulum between October 2013 and October 2016 were included in this study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The femoral neck torsion angle (FNTA), neck-shaft angle (NSA), and acetabular anteversion angle (AVA) were measured by an experienced orthopedic surgeon. All the patients' demographic and physical characteristics including age, sex, body laterality, height, and weight were recorded. The Student t-test, two-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The mean age for male and female was 45.01±15.38 and 49.30±17.63 years, respectively. Outcomes revealed that the NSA on the right side of the body, 133.46±4.46° in male and 134.36±4.71° in female, was statistically higher than the left side. Female FNTA had significantly higher values than male (P<0.01). Two-way ANOVA reveals that FNTA and AVA were correlated with age (P<0.05) but not weight, height, or BMI. NSA was correlated with age, weight, and BMI (P<0.05) but not height. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only age made an independent contribution to NSA.

CONCLUSIONS

The NSA and FNTA of Asian population may have an obvious decrease whereas AVA increases with ageing, which reveals the reason for the extorsion of lower extremity with elderly. During hip-related surgery in elderly patients, more attention should be paid to these lower extremity anatomic changes.

Implications of three-dimensional modeling of the proximal femur for cephalomedullary nailing: An Asian cadaver study

PURPOSE

To determine the variability in the ideal entry point of cephalomedullary (CM) nail around the greater trochanter (GT) and the consequent conformity with the proximal femur by analyzing three-dimensional (3D) modeling and virtual implantation MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 105 cadaveric femurs (50 males and 55 females) underwent continuous 1.0mm slice computed tomography (CT) scans. CT images imported into Mimics^® software to reconstruct the 3D model of the proximal femur and medullary canal. PFNA-II^® was processed into a 3D model using a 3D-sensor at the actual size and optimally implanted in the proximal femur model using Mimics^® software. The ideal entry point, nail conformity with the proximal femur, and the relationship between the entry point and adjacent structures were assessed.

RESULTS

The ideal entry point was located a mean of 2.38mm (SD, 3.53mm) medial to the tip of GT. No lateral cortex impingement of the proximal femur occurred in the coronal plane based on the recommended point. However, a disparity in the sagittal plane between the proximal shaft and nail curvature was found in 47 models (44.8%). Rotation and magnification of the 3D model exposed all nails above the surface of the medial side of the GT. The proximal nail end was contained entirely within bone and circumferential endosteal cortical contact was present at the nail-bone interface.

Influence of body weight on bone mass, architecture and turnover

Weight-dependent loading of the skeleton plays an important role in establishing and maintaining bone mass and strength. This review focuses on mechanical signaling induced by body weight as an essential mechanism for maintaining bone health. In addition, the skeletal effects of deviation from normal weight are discussed. The magnitude of mechanical strain experienced by bone during normal activities is remarkably similar among vertebrates, regardless of size, supporting the existence of a conserved regulatory mechanism, or mechanostat, that senses mechanical strain. The mechanostat functions as an adaptive mechanism to optimize bone mass and architecture based on prevailing mechanical strain. Changes in weight, due to altered mass, weightlessness (spaceflight), and hypergravity (modeled by centrifugation), induce an adaptive skeletal response. However, the precise mechanisms governing the skeletal response are incompletely understood. Furthermore, establishing whether the adaptive response maintains the mechanical competence of the skeleton has proven difficult, necessitating the development of surrogate measures of bone quality. The mechanostat is influenced by regulatory inputs to facilitate non-mechanical functions of the skeleton, such as mineral homeostasis, as well as hormones and energy/nutrient availability that support bone metabolism. Although the skeleton is very capable of adapting to changes in weight, the mechanostat has limits. At the limits, extreme deviations from normal weight and body composition are associated with impaired optimization of bone strength to prevailing body size.

Proximal femur geometry assessed by hip structural analysis in hip fracture in women

INTRODUCTION

In the pathogenesis of hip fracture, proximal femur geometry plays a key role as well as decreased bone density. The hip structural analysis (HSA) processes dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) images containing information on the geometry closely related to the strength of the proximal femur. The objective of this study was to investigate bone mineral density (BMD) and mechanical properties of the proximal femur in a group of women with a previous contralateral hip fragility fracture compared to women without history of hip fracture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a population of postmenopausal women, we evaluated bone density by DXA and bone geometry using the HSA parameters (femoral strength index, cross-sectional moment of inertia, cross-sectional area, section modulus, and buckling ratio) including hip axis length (HAL) and neck shaft angle.

RESULTS

Of a total of 62 postmenopausal women, twenty-six with a history of hip fracture had a mean femoral neck BMD significantly lower in comparison with 36 women in the control group (0.703 versus 0.768 g/cm(2), p = 0.0347). There was a statistically significant difference between groups also for HAL (106.75 mm in fracture group versus 100.93 mm in control group, p = 0.0015).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that all the geometrical parameters resulted worst into the group of patients with history of hip fracture, even though only the HAL was significantly lower in control subjects. In our opinion HSA is useful to characterize the risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, providing additional data on the spatial distribution of bone mass strongly related to bone strength.

Femoral version, neck-shaft angle, and acetabular anteversion in Chinese Han population: a retrospective analysis of 466 healthy adults

Anatomic data regarding femoral version, neck-shaft angle, and acetabular anteversion are still limited in Chinese Han adult population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of age, sex, and body laterality on the 3 important anatomic indicators in Chinese Han healthy adults. Measurements were performed independently by 3 experienced observers using the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) in healthy adults who had received imaging tests of the femur and acetabulum between January 2009 and October 2014. Relevant data were measured and analyzed. A total of 466 adults (353 males and 113 females) were included. The mean femoral version, neck-shaft angle, and acetabular anteversion for all were 10.62, 133.02, and18.79, respectively. Age-based analysis showed that adults younger than 60 years had a significantly higher neck-shaft angle (P < 0.001) but a significantly lower acetabular anteversion (P < 0.001) than those older than 60 years. Sex-based analysis revealed that females had significantly higher values of femoral version (P < 0.001) and acetabular anteversion (P < 0.001) than males. Laterality-based analysis found the left side had a significantly lower acetabular anteversion (P < 0.001) than the right side. Outcomes of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that femoral version may be associated with sex (P < 0.001) but not age (P = 0.076) or laterality (P = 0.430), neck-shaft angle may be associated with age (P < 0.001) but not sex (P = 0.378) or laterality (P = 0.233), and acetabular anteversion may be associated with age (P < 0.001) and sex (P < 0.001) but not laterality (P = 0.060). In this representative Chinese cohort, neck-shaft angle may decrease, whereas acetabular anteversion may increase with age, females may have higher values of femoral version and acetabular anteversion than males, and the right body side may have a higher value of acetabular anteversion than the left side.