Quantitative ultrasound measurements in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

The aim of the current study was to evaluate bone status at the radius and phalanx in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes by using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements. Thirty pediatric patients, 16 male and 14 female, with type 1 diabetes of duration of 5 to 177 months and mean (+/- SD) age 11.3 +/- 4.6 years were studied. QUS measurements were carried out using the Sunlight Omnisense 7000 S device. Speed of sound (SOS) was measured at the radius and tibia. Diabetic control was assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) measurements. Male and female patients with type I diabetes did not have significantly different SOS or HbA(1c) values. SOS Z-scores at both the radius and tibia were negatively associated with duration of disease (r = -041 and r = -0.37 for the radius and tibia respectively, P < 0.05 for both correlations). Seven of 15 patients with duration of disease of > 6 years had diminished SOS, defined as Z-score of <-1, at either the radius or tibia. SOS measurements at the radius showed moderate correlation with SOS at the tibia (r = 0.58, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between SOS and HbA(1c). In conclusion, SOS Z-scores at both the radius and tibia show a significant negative correlation with duration of insulin-dependent diabetes in children. No relation was found between SOS and metabolic control of young diabetic patients.