Trial reportBone2012
Tactile/kinesthetic stimulation (TKS) increases tibial speed of sound and urinary osteocalcin (U-MidOC and unOC) in premature infants (29-32weeks PMA).
Trial report in Bone, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physical activity programmes for promoting bone mineralisation and growth in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions.Nature human behaviour · 2024Pooled it
- Physical activity programs for promoting bone mineralization and growth in preterm infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- First Brazilian recommendation on physiotherapy with sensory motor stimulation in newborns and infants in the intensive care unit.Revista Brasileira de terapia intensivaPooled it
- Effect of physiotherapy on the promotion of bone mineralization in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2022Trial
- Influence of H-HOPE intervention for premature infants on growth, feeding progression and length of stay during initial hospitalization.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2015Trial
- Mechano responsiveness of neuroimmune cross-talk in bone and joints: A narrative review with implications for force-based manipulations.Musculoskeletal science & practice · 2026Review
- NICU sensory experiences associated with positive outcomes: an integrative review of evidence from 2015-2020.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2023Review
- Physical Therapy to Prevent Osteopenia in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Feasibility of Early Intervention Through Home-Based and Parent-Delivered Infant Massage in Infants at High Risk for Cerebral Palsy.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Article
- Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Massage in Preterm Infants.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Review
- Enhancing sensory experiences for very preterm infants in the NICU: an integrative review.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Preterm delivery (<37 weeks post-menstrual age) is associated with suboptimal bone mass. We hypothesized that tactile/kinesthetic stimulation (TKS), a form of infant massage that incorporates kinesthetic movement, would increase bone strength and markers of bone accretion in preterm infants. Preterm, AGA infants (29-32 weeks) were randomly assigned to TKS (N=20) or Control (N=20). Twice daily TKS was provided 6 days per week for 2 weeks. Control infants received the same care without TKS treatment. Treatment was masked to parents, health care providers, and study personnel. Baseline and week two measures were collected for tibial speed of sound (tSOS, m/sec), a surrogate for bone strength, by quantitative ultrasound (Sunlight8000) and urine markers of bone metabolism, pyridinium crosslinks and osteocalcin (U-MidOC and unOC). Infant characteristics at birth and study entry as well as energy/nutrient intake were similar between TKS and Control. TKS intervention attenuated the decrease in tSOS observed in Control infants (p<0.05). Urinary pyridinium crosslinks decreased over time in both TKS and CTL (p<0.005). TKS infants experienced greater increases in urinary osteocalcin (U-MidOC, p<0.001 and unOC, p<0.05). We conclude that TKS improves bone strength in premature infants by attenuating the decrease that normally follows preterm birth. Further, biomarkers of bone metabolism suggest a modification in bone turnover in TKS infants in favor of bone accretion. Taken together, we speculate that TKS improves bone mineralization.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.