ArticleThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2025
Shaping the Skeleton: Impact of GnRH Analogue and Sex Hormone Therapy on Skeletal Dimensions in Transgender Individuals.
Article in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Impact of reference gender on bone mineral density and fracture risk assessment in transgender adults.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026Observational
- Rapid review of gender-affirming healthcare for children and adolescents: Evidence synthesis (2021-2025) and recommendations for South Africa.Southern African journal of HIV medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextSkeletal dimensions vary between sexes. Men typically have broader shoulders and women a wider pelvis. Whether gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) with or without prior puberty suppression (PS) alters these dimensions in transgender individuals remains unclear.
objectiveTo investigate impact of PS and GAHT on skeletal dimensions.
methodsThis retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted at a gender identity clinic, included transgender individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) and assigned female at birth (AFAB) who underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning between ages 18 and 28 years and who were divided into 4 groups: Early PS (Tanner G/B2-3) + GAHT, Late PS (Tanner G/B4-5) + GAHT, GAHT-only, and untreated. Shoulder and pelvis dimensions measured by DXA were compared between groups, with adjustment for height.
resultsA total of 121 individuals AMAB and 122 AFAB were included. Only individuals AMAB who underwent early PS had smaller shoulders compared to untreated individuals AMAB (-1.3 cm; 95% CI -2.1; -0.5). In individuals AMAB from both the Early and Late PS groups, pelvic inlet, pubic symphysis width, and interischial distance were greater compared to untreated individuals AMAB, resulting in dimensions comparable to untreated individuals AFAB. Only in Early PS AFAB was pelvic inlet width smaller compared to untreated individuals AFAB (-1.0 cm; 95% CI -1.5; -0.6), and comparable to untreated individuals AMAB.
conclusionThe study results suggest that skeletal dimensions are only altered by GAHT if endogenous puberty has not yet been completed at start of PS. These findings enhance our understanding of hormonal effects on the skeleton and may hold clinical relevance for body image as well as for forensic anthropology. Future research should evaluate clinical implications for surgical or obstetrical outcomes in transgender individuals.
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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 Socratic graph.