Available online 13 September 2022, 101776

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem with serious long-term complications. In children, the definition of osteoporosis is not only based on densitometric criteria but also takes into account vertebral and long bone fragility fractures. Several factors, such as long-term high-dose steroids, chronic inflammation, malnutrition, immobility, lack of sex steroids, and medication can reduce bone density and increase the risk for fragility fractures when left untreated. Also, genetic conditions can predispose to primary bone fragility disorders, with osteogenesis imperfecta being the most common. Furthermore, since the growing skeleton is at an increased rate of bone remodeling, the ability to heal long bone fractures and reshape vertebral fractures differentiates children from adults. The scope of this chapter is to review the risk factors of osteoporosis and fragility fractures and describe the commonest causes of primary and secondary osteoporosis and their management in children and young adults.

Osteoporosis

Fragility fractures

Children

Young adults

Glucocorticoids

Bisphosphonates

magnetic resonance imaging

vertebral fracture assessment

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

Bone Mineral Apparent Density

height adjusted z-score

quantitative computed tomography

peripheralquantitative computed tomography

Duchenne muscular dystrophy

inflammatory bowel disease

receptor activator of nuclear factor κΒ ligand

osteogenesis imperfecta

acute lymphoblastic leukemia

juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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