Osteoporosis and Measurement of Bone Mass in Children and Adolescents

Osteoporosis increasingly is recognized as a pediatric concern. Fragility fractures occur in children and adolescents with genetic disorders and those with a variety of chronic diseases. Others may not fracture in childhood but reach adulthood with a reduced peak bone mass and increased lifelong risk of osteoporosis. This article reviews the indications for pediatric bone density testing, the strengths and limitations of densitometry methods, and the challenges of interpreting the results. The goals are to demystify the densitometry report and to clarify the role of bone density tests in assessing and managing skeletal health in children.