title: Bone mineral density in pediatric patients with meningomyelocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the bone mineral density (BMD) and the factors leading to reduction in BMD in children diagnosed with meningomyelocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 31 patients with meningomyelocele (mean (SD) age, 8.5 (3.9) years; 51.6%were females) and 22 healthy children were included. BMD of femoral neck and spinal L1– L4 levels and markers for bone metabolism were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMD of femoral neck (p=0.001) and spinal L1–L4 (p = 0.01), serum calcium (p = 0.031), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p=0.015) levels were significantly lower in patients than in controls. Mobilization was significantly reduced in lumbar (p=0.001) and thoracic (p=0.002) level meningomyelocele compared to controls, while a significant positive correlation was noted between BMD of spinal L1–L4 and mobility (r=0.58, p=0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest a decrease in BMD in meningomyelocele patients being associated with osteoporosis rather than nutritional and hormonal factors and the negative impact of higher levels of lesion on the mobility.
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kafadar
authors.forename: Betul Aydin
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Figen Koymen
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000652:urine; D000886:Anthropometry; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; C036020:deoxypyridinoline; D002118:Calcium