ULTRASONOGRAPHIC BONE VELOCITY IN PREGNANCY - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal changes in bone mass were evaluated with use o f ultrasonography and bone remodeling markers in 40 normal pregnant wo men in relation to their calcium intake. STUDY DESIGN: The study took place at the University of Alcala Hospital in Madrid. Biochemical mark ers of bone remodeling and ultrasonographic bone propagation velocity in the proximal phalanxes of fingers 2 to 5 were measured in all three trimesters of pregnancy. Wilcoxon, unpaired and paired tests, and ana lysis of variance were used. RESULTS: Ultrasonographic bone propagatio n velocity (meters per second) was lower in the second and third trime sters of pregnancy (p < 0.0001) compared with the respective preceding trimesters and in the third trimester in the overall group of pregnan t women. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase levels increased significantly (p < 0.0001) in parallel with the ultra sonographic bone propagation velocity decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Gestation was accompanied by a reduction in ultrasonographic bone propagation v elocity that was greater in women with low calcium intake.