| Theme |
Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and bone metabolism |
| Title |
Bone growth and glucocorticoid in children |
| Author |
Hiroyuki Tanaka |
Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| [ Summary ] |
Bone turnover rates during growth are extremely rapid. Bone growth is controlled by various hormonal conditions. Long term administration of glucocorticoids to children induced not only osteoporosis but also growth failure via direct action on bone and cartilage and indirectly via hormonal disturbances. Sex related steroids are one important group of hormones for bone mineral accrual and for cartilage maturation. Thus, glucocorticoid usage during puberty resulted in irreversible effects on bone growth. Recently, bisphosphonates have been widely used in the treatment of these steroid induced bone disorders without firm evidence concerning their effects on children. Large scale RCTs are necessary for the study of these effects. |