[The effect of sports activities in children and adolescents on the calcaneus--an investigation with quantitative ultrasound].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) on the calcaneus are different between athletic children and a reference population.


METHODS
From a college of physical education, 177 children and adolescents (121 boys and 56 girls, age range from 11 to 18 years) were included in this study. QUS was performed on the calcaneus using the Saharatrade mark device (Hologic, USA). SOS and BUA were estimated. Regional reference values of 3299 children were used to determine significant differences between athletes and reference population. The influence of activitiy level, age, height, and weight was estimated using correlation analysis.


RESULTS
Sportsmen showed significant (p < 0.05) higher values of the QUS parameters (SOS 1581.1 m/s; BUA 69.7 dB/MHz) compared to the reference data (SOS 1563.9 m/s; BUA 64.2 dB/MHz). Significant correlation was observed between BUA and the level of activity, age, weight, and height (p < 0.01) and between SOS and weight and height (p < 0.05). In the group of soccer players and athlets, significant correlation was found between BUA vs. age and BUA vs. weight (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant corelation was observed between BUA vs. age and weight in judokas and wrestlers. For the level of activity, a significant correlation to BUA was only found in the group of judokas and wrestlers (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
An increase in quantitative ultrasound parameters on the calcaneus occurs in children and adolescents with increased physical activity.
Mentzel
H-J
HJ
Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Klinikum der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany. hans-joachim.mentzel@med.uni-jena.de
Wünsche
K
K
Malich
A
A
Böttcher
J
J
Vogt
S
S
Kaiser
W A
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014463:Ultrasonography