The muscle-bone unit in adulthood: influence of sex, height, age and gynecological history on the bone mineral content and muscle cross-sectional area

J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2006 Apr-Jun;6(2):195-200.

Abstract

Bone and muscle development are both strongly influenced by sex hormones. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in bone and muscle parameters (bone mineral content - BMC, muscle cross-sectional area - MA) in 130 men aged 31 -60 years, and in 180 pre-menopausal women aged 30-53 years with respect to age, body height and, with the women, their gynecological history (age-at-menarche, number of pregnancies, duration of lactation and use of oral contraception). The study was performed using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at a 65% site of the forearm length. Both BMC and MA were dependent on body height (p<0.0001), but not on age. The BMC/MA ratio was dependent neither on age nor on body height in both genders. MA as well as BMC were found significantly higher in males than in females (p<0.0001 for both variables). We observed a significantly higher BMC/MA ratio in females than in males (p<0.0001). We found no effect either of the analyzed variables of gynecological history on bone/muscle characteristics. The findings highlight the necessity of involving height-adjusted parameters and BMC/MA ratio into bone analysis in adults.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Body Height*
  • Bone Density / physiology*
  • Bone Development / physiology
  • Bone and Bones / drug effects
  • Bone and Bones / physiology*
  • Contraceptives, Oral / pharmacology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lactation
  • Male
  • Menarche
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle, Skeletal / anatomy & histology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Premenopause
  • Radius / drug effects
  • Radius / physiology
  • Sex Characteristics*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Contraceptives, Oral