title: Bone health in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and the influence of short-term physical exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study bone mineral density (BMD) in 54 children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis before and after a short-term exercise program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four children, 41 girls and 13 boys, median age 13.9 years, participated in a 12-week exercise program, with 33 children in an exercise group. The program consisted of one hundred 2-footed jumps with a rope and standardized muscle strength exercise. Both BMD and bone mineral content were assessed with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and DXA Laser Calscan for the heel at the start and after 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group had BMD measurements within the reference range compared with normative data with Z score at start. Bone mineral density values in total body, but not Z score, increased significantly (P = .012) in the exercise group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study group had BMD measurements within the reference range. Twelve weeks of exercise increases BMD in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. eva.sandstedt@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sandstedt
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fasth
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fors
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beckung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult