Bone mineral density of healthy Turkish children and adolescents.

The objective of this article is to gain reference values of lumbar and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) for healthy Turkish children. Three hundred forty-five children aged 2-18 years were examined. Weight and height development were normal for age according to national growth charts. Areal BMD (aBMD) was corrected using the model of Kroger et al (9). The results of the lumbar and femoral aBMD increased progressively from childhood to adulthood. Statistically significant correlation was found between lumbar and femoral neck aBMD and age and height (p<0.01). Lumbar volumetric (vBMD) data were similar between males and females. Femoral vBMD was only significantly different at the ages of 8 and 16 (p<0.05) in girls and boys and did not increase with age. A significant increase in aBMD L1-L4 values according to puberty was observed between all Tanner stages, except Tanner stages 3 and 4 (p>0.05). A significant difference was found between stages 1 and 2, and 2 and 3 in femoral neck aBMD (p<0.05). This data provides a tool for the investigation and follow-up of Turkish children at risk for low-bone mineralization.