Local Body Composition Is Associated with Gender Differences of Bone Development at the Forearm in Puberty

Abstract

Background/Aims: The present analyses intend to clarify if gender and puberty modify the relationship between bone development (modeling and remodeling) and fat mass at the forearm. Methods: Data were collected from participants (139 males, 157 females, age = 5–19 years) of the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed study in a cross-sectional investigation. The main outcome measures were total and trabecular bone mineral density (BMDtot and BMDtrab), strength strain index (SSI) and parameters associated with modeling (cortical area, CA; periosteal circumference, CP) and remodeling (cortical bone mineral density, BMDcort, endosteal circumference, CE) were analyzed in their relationship to cross-sectional fat (FA) and muscle area (MA) at the forearm. Results: BMDtot was correlated with FA in pubertal males (r = –0.25). BMDtrab was contrarily predicted by FA in pubertal males and females (r = –0.28 vs. 0.31). FA was correlated with BMDcort (r = –0.32) and CE (r = 0.26) in pubertal females. MA was positively correlated with CA, CP and SSI. Conclusions: Modeling and bone strength were primarily predicted by MA. Markers of remodeling were positively correlated with FA in pubertal females, but not in prepubertal individuals and pubertal males. Therefore, gender and puberty modify the relationship between FA and bone development.

How Does Bone Quality Differ Between Healthy-weight and Overweight Adolescents and Young Adults?

“…More importantly, excess adiposity may actually compromise bone microstructure in overweight males. Similar negative relationships between FM and pQCT-derived measures of bone area, BMD, and bone strength were observed at metaphyseal and diaphyseal sites of the radius and tibia in males and females [17,18,25,39,40,50,51]. The mechanisms that underpin potential detrimental effects of excess adiposity on bone structure and strength are not well defined.…”

“…With peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT), one is able to assess associations between excess body fat and bone cross-sectional structure, volumetric BMD, and estimates of bone strength at the radius and tibia in children and adolescents [14,17,18,39,43,50,51]. Before adjusting for muscle force (or surrogates), several studies reported a positive association between body fat and pQCT-derived BMD, structure, and strength in females and males [14,17,25,43,50].…”

A reference database for the Stratec XCT-2000 peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scanner in healthy children and young adults aged 6–19 years

“…In healthy children, the age-related increase and gender differences in SSI have been shown at the radius [7,9,48] and tibia [49]. The SSI has been described in some paediatric patient groups [12,16,50] and in gymnasts versus controls [51].…”

Association between Lean and Fat Mass and Indicators of Bone Health in Prepubertal Caucasian Children

“…A study in 8- to 18-year-old children using peripheral QCT radius measurements showed that higher fat mass was associated with lower bone size in males and in older females cross-sectionally; longitudinally cortical area decreased with higher fat mass [9]. Likewise, markers of bone remodeling (QCT forearm measurements) were positively associated with forearm fat area in pubertal females, but not among pubertal males and prepubertal children [24]. A longitudinal DXA study suggested that puberty may attenuate the positive association between fat mass and total-body-less-head bone mass and area [19].…”