20Oct 2023
Quantifying bone strength deficits in young adults born extremely preterm or extremely low birthweight

Quantifying bone strength deficits in young adults born extremely preterm or extremely low birthweight

This study examined the long-term bone health of young adults born extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks’ gestation) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g birth weight) in the post-surfactant era (since the early 1990s). Using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)-based finite element modeling (pQCT-FEM), researchers assessed the bone structure and estimated bone strength. The study included 161 EP/ELBW survivors and 122 term-born controls from Victoria, Australia, born in 1991-92. At age 25, pQCT scans were performed at 4% and 66% of tibia and radius length. The EP/ELBW group exhibited lower unadjusted tibial pQCT-FEM parameters. Height- and weight-adjusted torsional stiffness at 66% tibia remained lower in EP/ELBW. Group differences in torsional and bending stiffness at 66% tibia were more pronounced in males. There were no significant group differences in adjusted radial models. Lower adjusted pQCT-FEM measures in EP/ELBW suggest an increased long-term fracture risk, especially in males.

  • #orthopaedics

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