Bone measurements by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in children with cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE
To use peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) to determine bone measurements in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) age 3 to 20 years and compare them with control subjects.


METHODS
A total of 13 (5 male) patients with CP, along with 2 sex- and age-matched controls for each, were included in a mixed-model analysis with matched pairs as random effects for pQCT bone measurements of the 20% distal tibia.


RESULTS
Tibia length was similar in the CP and control groups (P = .57). Weight was marginally higher in the control group (P = .06). Cortical bone mineral content (BMC), area, thickness, polar strength-strain index (pSSI), and periosteal and endosteal circumferences were greater in the control group (P < .05 for all). Relationships between bone measurements and weight showed that cortical BMC, area, periosteal circumference, and pSSI were greater at higher weights in the control group (group-by-weight interaction, P < .05 for all). Cortical thickness was greater in the control group and was correlated with weight. Cortical volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) was greater with higher weights in the CP group (group-by-weight interaction, P = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
Bone strength, as indicated by pSSI, is compromised in children with CP due to smaller and thinner bones, not due to lower cortical bone density.
Binkley
Teresa
T
Ethel Austin Martin Human Nutrition Program, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota 57007, USA.
Johnson
Julie
J
Vogel
Lois
L
Kecskemethy
Heidi
H
Henderson
Richard
R
Specker
Bonny
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed