Bone metabolism in children and adolescents: main characteristics of the determinants of peak bone mass.

The remodelling process of bone acted by osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells allows the tissue to maintain its integrity and mechanical properties. Systemic factors, such as hormonal status, nutrition, physical inactivity, exposure to smoking, alcohol, or particular drugs, as well as a local variation in the load, can influence bone turnover, and consequently, bone mass. In this paper, physical and biochemical factors are described, which are crucially important during the period of growth, i.e. childhood and adolescence, for the construction of a healthy bone.