Bone Abstracts

An increasing number of biomaterials are in development, seeking to mimic the natural cascade of events during fracture repair. However, these biomaterials need to be rigorously tested prior to clinical application. In vitro testing lacks the physiological environment, while in vivo studies do not always predict the patient response. Here we hypothesize that the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay can be used to culture human living bone and we aim to examin...

Geroderma osteodysplasticum (GO) is a rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterised by progeria like facies, wrinkled lax skin, joint hypermobility, congenital dislocation of hips and propensity to fragility fractures. In the past 25 years, five patients (three females and two males) diagnosed with GO were referred to our Paediatric metabolic bone service for assessment and management of secondary bone problems. All five children were born to consanguineous...

Objective: Evaluate the clinical characteristics of all Latin American pediatric patients with Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) enrolled in the ICGG Gaucher Registry at baseline and investigate long-term outcomes and clinical benefit of prolonged imiglucerase/alglucerase therapy in patients with manifestations of GD1 at baseline.Methods: All Latin American patients with GD1 in the ICGG Gaucher Registry (NCT00358943) who were <18 years of age at the start...

Biographical DetailsDr Leanne M Ward is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa where she holds a Research Chair in Pediatric Bone Health. She is the Medical Director of the Pediatric Bone Health Clinical and Research Programs at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and a pediatric endocrinologist within the Division of Endocrinology and Metaboli...

Objective: To evaluate musculoskeletal development using pQCT in children with coeliac disease (CD) on gluten free diet (GFD) compared with age and gender matched healthy controlsMethod: 38 children (18 males) with CD on GFD for a duration of 3.6 years (0.6, 12.5) underwent pQCT at 4%, 38 and 66% tibial sites. Bloods were collected in CD children only. Results reported as median (range).Result: Median TTG was 1.8 IU/l (0.1, 114) wi...

Biographical DetailsBarbara M Misof is Staff Scientist at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology, Vienna, Austria. She completed her PhD in Physics and Postgraduate Education in Medical Physics at the University of Vienna in 2000. In 2002, she received the Herbert-Czitober-Research Award of the Austrian Society of Bone and Mineral Research. Her areas of interest are bone material pro...

Aim: Scoliosis is a common skeletal problem affecting 10–30% of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). NF1 patients have been shown to have reduced bone mineral density (BMD) which may play a role in the pathogenesis or progression of scoliosis. Our centre is one of four international centres currently evaluating the efficacy of various spinal imaging techniques and BMD as predictors for scoliosis in NF1. In our cohort we measured the lumbar spine (LS) BMD both by ...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate with a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. Therefore new methods to study these cells are essential. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen gels may differentiate to...

Background: Cannabinoid receptors are expressed in synovial joints but their role in joint disease is unknown. Here we examined the role of the type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) in the pathogenesis of age-related osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis caused by destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM) in WT and CB2-deficient mice (Cnr2−/− mice).Methods: The severity of arthritis was graded histologically according to standard techni...

Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is a bone derived phosphate-regulating hormone which is elevated in hypophosphataemic rickets. Recent findings demonstrate iron deficiency as a potential mediator of FGF23 expression and murine studies have shown in utero effects of maternal iron deficiency leading to increased FGF23 concentration and disordered bone development (Clinkenbeard. JBMR 2013). Children with rickets in rural Gambia, West Africa, have high prevalences of i...