Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BOONEN, S.
Right arrow Articles by DEQUEKER, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BOONEN, S.
Right arrow Articles by DEQUEKER, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1997 Oxford University Press

research-article

Determinants of age-associated changes in os calcis ultrasonic indices in elderly women: potential involvement of geriatric hyposomatotropism in bone fragility

STEVEN BOONEN1,3,, PATRICK H. F. NICHOLSON2, GEERT LOWET2, XIAO GUANG CHENG1, GEERT VERBEKE4, EMMANUEL LESAFFRE4, JEROEN AERSSENS1 and JAN DEQUEKER1

1Arthritis and Metabolic Bone Disease Research Unit Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
2Division of Biomechanics and Engineering Design Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
3Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine UZ Leuven, Brusselsestraat 69, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
4Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistical Centre Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Leuven, Belgium

Address correspondence to: S. Boonen. Fax (+32) 16 337941

OBJECTIVE:: ultrasound measures a clinically relevant property of bone strength in addition to and distinct from bone mass. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of healthy ageing on ultrasound measurements of the calcaneus.

DESIGN:: cross-sectional study.

STUDY PARTICIPANTS:: a sample of 177 community-dwelling healthy women aged 70–87 years. Exclusion criteria were diseases or medications known to affect the musculoskeletal system or the somatotrophic axis.

MEASUREMENTS:: serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were measured by radioimmunoassay, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) was determined by competitive binding assay and serum parathyroid hormone was assessed immunochemically. Isometric and isokinetic quadriceps strength were evaluated using a Cybex II system. Calcaneal ultrasound indices-broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS)-were measured with an Achilles system.

RESULTS:: we found a significant decrease with ageing in BUA and SOS (–0.5 and –1.3% per year, respectively), suggesting a continuing loss of bone quality. Quadriceps strength, serum IGF-I and 25(OH)D3 constituted the best predictors of BUA, while IGF-I was the only parameter found to be independently associated with SOS.

CONCLUSION:: these findings suggest that, among other factors, the activity of the growth hormone-IGF-I axis is of importance for skeletal integrity. Age-related bone fragility may, in part, be related to geriatric hyposomatotropism.

Keywords: bone quality, broadband ultrasound attenuation, insulin-like growth factor-I, ultrasound, speed of sound

Received October 3, 1996;
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
A. R. Hoffman, B. M. K. Biller, D. Cook, J. Baptista, B. L. Silverman, L. Dao, K. M. Attie, P. Fielder, T. Maneatis, B. Lippe, et al.
Efficacy of a Long-Acting Growth Hormone (GH) Preparation in Patients with Adult GH Deficiency
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2005; 90(12): 6431 - 6440.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.