Magnetic resonance imaging of knees: a novel approach to predict recombinant human growth hormone therapy response in short-stature children in late puberty

• Published in: World journal of pediatrics : WJP 2024-07, Vol.20 (7), p.723-734
• Main Authors: Bai, Xi, Zhou, Zhi-Bo, Guo, Xiao-Yuan, He, Yi-Ling, Zhang, Yue-Lun, Wang, Feng-Dan, Feng, Feng, Yang, Hong-Bo, Chen, Shi, Gong, Feng-Ying, Zhu, Hui-Juan, Pan, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Critical Care Medicine; Imaging; Intensive; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Radiology; Surgery
• ISSN: 1708-8569; 1867-0687
• DOI: 10.1007/s12519-023-00758-y

Background There is no appropriate tool to predict recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) response before therapy initiation in short-stature children in late puberty. The current study aimed to explore the associations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) stages of the knee growth plates and rhGH response in short-stature children in late puberty. Methods In this prospective cohort study, short-stature children in late puberty were treated with rhGH and followed up for 6 months. We proposed a novel knee MRI staging system according to the growth plate states of distal femurs or proximal tibias and divided the participants into three groups: unclosed growth plate group, marginally closed growth plate group, and nearly closed growth plate group. The primary outcomes were height gain and growth velocity (GV), which were assessed three months later. Results Fifty participants were enrolled, including 23 boys and 27 girls. GV and height gain after 6 months of rhGH therapy decreased successively in the three groups with an increased degree of growth plate fusion, especially when grouped by proximal tibias (GV 1-3 mon from 9.38 to 6.08 to 4.56 cm/year, GV 4-6 mon from 6.75 to 4.92 to 3.25 cm/year, and height gain from 4.03 to 2.75 to 1.95 cm, all P