Idiopathic Juvenile Osteoporosis.

The article focuses on a study of Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis (IJO), the descriptive term applied to a primary osteoporosis of unknown etiology present in children. The study included a total of 61 children who fulfilled the description of IJO. The majority presented with pain in the back or feet, muscular weakness and limitations in free movements. The cardinal features of IJO are onset of symptoms prior to puberty, pain in the back and extremities, a characteristic gait with difficulty in walking, radiological evidence of osteoporotic new bone and multiple fractures typically of the metaphyses and vertebral bodies. In the early stages of the disease biomarkers suggested increased bone resorption. With the exception of the most severe cases, patients with IJO experience a complete recovery within 3-4 years.