title: Bone structure of adolescent swimmers; a peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the present study were: (1) to characterize vBMD, bone structure and strength with peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) in adolescent swimmers and compare it to normo-active controls (CG); and (2) to evaluate the possible interaction that weight-bearing sports might have on swimmers bone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  The non-dominant radius and tibia of 79 (32 females) swimmers and 49 (22 females) CG (both 11-18 years old) were evaluated at proximal and distal sites with a pQCT scanner. Values of total, trabecular and cortical volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) were obtained from each scan. Cortical thickness, endosteal and periosteal circumferences were also measured and bone strength indexes were calculated. Analyses of covariance were used to compare variables between groups adjusting for age, tanner stage and bone length. Three different analyses were performed according to present and past sport participation in addition to swimming in order to determine differences among swimmers who had performed or were performing other sports (OTHER-SP) (10 females/17 males) and swimmers who had not performed other sports (NO-OTHER-SP) (22 females/22 males). Both of these groups were compared to each other and to a CG (22 females/27 males).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found between swimmers and CG for bone strength indexes, structure or vBMD (independently of the compared sample).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that swimmers present similar bone strength and structure than CG who did not present high physical activity levels.
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Bruton
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Agüero
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Centro Universitario de la Defensa, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Cabello
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matute-Llorente
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA; The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Zemel
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Casajús
authors.affiliation: GENUD "Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development" Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences (FCSD), Department of Physiatry and Nursing, University of Zaragoza, Spain. Electronic address: gervicen@unizar.es.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vicente-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011884:Radius / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016474:Weight-Bearing
keywords: Adolescence; Bone density; Exercise; Swimming; Volumetric BMD; pQCT