Bone Mineral and Muscle Strength Characteristics in Children with Turner Syndrome

Absolute total body (TB) and regional spine (RS) bone mineral content (BMC) measured by dual photon absorptiometry were lower ( p < .05) in Turner syndrome (TS) girls compared to a cohort of younger (by 2 years) but taller and heavier prepubertal girls. Maximal voluntary strength (MVC) of the elbow flexors, knee extensors, and plantar flexors were also consistently and, in most cases, significantly lower in TS girls. Differences between groups in absolute bone mineral and muscle strength disappeared, however, when normalized for skeletal cross-sectional area (areal density) and for the product of muscle cross-sectional area and estimated moment arm, respectively. Maximal voluntary strength and body mass correlated moderately strongly with the bone mineral measures, but only body mass contributed significantly to the variance in total body and regional spine bone mineral measures. Bone mineral and muscle strength appear appropriate for body size and for skeletal and muscle morphology in young TS girls.