Reflux and Indigestion Scores Elevated in Adults With Skeletal Dysplasias
Adults with skeletal dysplasias reported more severe reflux and indigestion than a reference group in a retrospective review of gastrointestinal (GI) symptom surveys. The findings are described in an abstract for the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2026 meeting, scheduled for October 9–12.
Researchers reviewed standard-of-care surveys and patient charts at the Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasias at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Adults completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), which rates 15 symptoms across reflux, abdominal pain, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation domains. The researchers collected demographic and lifestyle information from charts and a supplementary survey.
The adult group included 51 participants: 21 with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and 30 with other skeletal dysplasias. Among those without OI, 10 had achondroplasia, 3 had diastrophic dysplasia, and 3 had pseudoachondroplasia.
Compared with GSRS reference data, the adult group scored higher on reflux and indigestion and lower on abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Higher scores indicated greater symptom severity. Participants with OI scored higher on reflux and lower on constipation than both the reference and non–OI dysplasia groups.
Female participants scored higher than male participants across all 5 domains, a pattern the researchers said was driven by females without OI. Symptoms decreased with age in the non-OI group but increased with age in the OI group. Participants who used power wheelchairs reported more severe symptoms than those who used manual wheelchairs or walked independently or with assistive devices. Greater use of medications with known GI effects was positively correlated with symptom severity. The abstract does not provide numerical scores or association estimates for these comparisons.
Pediatric patients and/or caregivers completed a separate questionnaire screening for 10 functional GI disorders, but the abstract does not report the pediatric sample size or findings. It also describes no animal research.
The authors characterized GI symptoms as clinically relevant in this population. They called for further research into the roles of sex, age, dysplasia type, ambulatory status, and medication use in managing those symptoms.
Reference
Baxter L, Brown C, Carter E, McInerney D, Raggio C. Self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adults with a skeletal dysplasia. Conference abstract for the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2026 meeting; October 9-12, 2026. Presentation listing