INFLUENCE OF WEIGHT, AGE AND PUBERTY ON BONE SIZE AND BONE-MINERAL CONTENT IN HEALTHY-CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

The biology of bone mineralization during growth is important for peak bone mass. The aim of the study was to examine how body size, age and puberty influence bone size and bone mineral density. Whole body bone area (BA) and bone mineral content (BMC) were examined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic 1000/W) in healthy girls (n = 201) and boys (n = 142) aged 5-19 y. The influence of height, weight, age and p uberty on bone mineralization was examined by multiple regression. Mai n determinants of BA were height and weight. Bone width, approximated by BA corrected for height, increased highly significantly with weight and depended weakly significantly on pubertal stage. Main determinant s of BMC were BA, height, age and pubertal stages. Bone mineral densit y, approximated by BMC corrected for BA and height, depended on age an d pubertal stage, but not on weight. Thus skeletal size is mainly dete rmined by body size, while bone density is determined by age and puber tal stage.