Defining the bone morphometry, micro-architecture and volumetric density profile in osteopenic vs non-osteopenic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

• Published in: European spine journal 2017-06, Vol.26 (6), p.1586-1594
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhi-Wei, Lee, Wayne Yuk-Wai, Lam, Tsz-Ping, Yip, Benjamin Hon-Kei, Yu, Fiona Wai-Ping, Yu, Wing-Sze, Zhu, Feng, Ng, Bobby Kin-Wah, Qiu, Yong, Cheng, Jack Chun-Yiu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adolescent; Age; Apposition; Bone Density; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - complications; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - diagnostic imaging; Bone Diseases, Metabolic - pathology; Bone mineral density; Bone remodeling; Bone resorption; Bone strength; Case-Control Studies; Child; Computed tomography; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Female; Geriatrics; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morphometry; Neurosurgery; Organ Size; Original Article; Osteopenia; Quality; Radius - diagnostic imaging; Radius - pathology; Regression analysis; Scoliosis; Scoliosis - complications; Scoliosis - diagnostic imaging; Scoliosis - pathology; Statistics; Surgical Orthopedics; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods
• ISSN: 0940-6719; 1432-0932
• DOI: 10.1007/s00586-016-4422-7

Purpose Osteopenia has been widely reported in about 30 % of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, the bone quality profile of the 70 % non-osteopenic AIS defined by areal bone mineral density (BMD) with conventional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has not been adequately studied. Our purpose was to verify whether abnormal volumetric BMD (vBMD) and bone structure (morphometry and micro-architecture) also existed in the non-osteopenic AIS when compared with matched controls using both DXA and high-resolution peripheral computed tomography (HR-pQCT). Methods This was a case–control cross-sectional study. 257 AIS girls with a mean age of 12.7 (SD = 0.8) years old and 187 age- and gender-matched normal controls with an average age of 12.9 (SD = 0.5) years old were included. Areal BMD (aBMD) and bone quality were measured with standard DXA and HR-pQCT, respectively. The parameters of HR-pQCT could be categorized as bone morphometry, vBMD and bone micro-architecture. The results were compared between the osteopenic AIS and osteopenic control, and between the non-osteopenic AIS and non-osteopenic control. Results In addition to the lower aBMD and vBMD, osteopenic AIS showed significantly greater cortical perimeter and trabecular area than the osteopenic control even after adjustments of age ( P