Muscle mass crucial to preventing bone fractures in young people with cerebral palsy

Dr Anne Trinh

Maintaining muscle mass is crucial for good bone health in young adults with cerebral palsy (CP), a new collaborative study by endocrinology researchers at Hudson Institute of Medical Research has found.

The researchers also made the discovery that hypogonadism (a lack of sex steroids, linked to an increased risk of bone fractures) was highly prevalent in young people with CP.

Children and adults with CP have a higher risk of bone fractures than those without CP, owing to factors including limited movement, and the effects of anti-convulsant medication.

“As life expectancies for people with CP grow, bone health and fractures are emerging as key health priorities for clinicians and patients alike,” Lead author of the study, Dr Anne Trinh, a Monash Health endocrinologist who is undertaking her PhD in ‘The Optimisation of Bone Health in Adults with Chronic Neurological Disease’ at Hudson Institute of Medical Research, said.

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