Assessing Bone Microstructure at the Distal Radius in Children and Adolescents Using HR-pQCT: A Methodological Pilot Study

Burrows, Melonie; Liu, Danmei; Perdios, Angeliki; Moore, Sarah; Mulpuri, Kishore; McKay, Heather

doi:10.1016/j.jocd.2010.02.003

« Previous Next »Journal of Clinical Densitometry
Volume 13, Issue 4 , Pages 451-455, October 2010

Assessing Bone Microstructure at the Distal Radius in Children and Adolescents Using HR-pQCT: A Methodological Pilot Study

Melonie Burrows
- Department of Orthopedics, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Danmei Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Angeliki Perdios
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sarah Moore
- Department of Orthopedics, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Kishore Mulpuri
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Heather McKay
- Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Orthopedics, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Address correspondence to: Heather McKay, Center for Hip Health and Mobility, 589-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 1L8.

Received 26 January 2010; accepted 14 February 2010. published online 22 July 2010.

Abstract

We examined the use of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT [XtremeCT; Scanco Medical, Switzerland]) to assess bone microstructure at the distal radius in growing children and adolescents. We examined forearm radiographs from 37 children (age 8–14yr) to locate the position of the ulnar and radial growth plates. We used HR-pQCT to assess bone microstructure in a region of interest (ROI) at the distal radius that excluded the growth plate (as determined from the radiographs) in all children (n=328; 9–21 yr old). From radiographs, we determined that a ROI in the distal radius at 7% of bone length excluded the radial growth plate in 100% of participants. We present bone microstructure data at the distal radius in children and adolescents. From the HR-pQCT scans, we observed active growth plates in 80 males (aged 9.5–20.7yr) and 92 females (aged 9.5–20.2yr). The ulnar plate was visible in 9 male and 17 female participants (aged 11.2±1.9yr). The HR-pQCT scan required 3min with a relatively low radiation dose (<3μSv). Images from the radial ROI were free of artifacts and outlined cortical and trabecular bone microstructure. There is currently no standard method for these measures; therefore, these findings provide insight for investigators using HR-pQCT for studies of growing children.