Publications by authors named "Craig F Munns"

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability of childhood, affecting movement and posture, resulting from a neurological insult during pregnancy or the neonatal period. While the brain lesion is static, the musculoskeletal sequelae in CP are often progressive and lifelong, associated with pain and can impact the lives of children with CP, their families and the healthcare system. The Australasian Cerebral Palsy Musculoskeletal Health Network (AusCP MSK) study will conduct comprehensive, population-based surveillance of children with moderate to severe functional mobility limitations (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels III-V) to explore the early biomarkers of, and interactions between, musculoskeletal complications related to CP, including hip displacement, scoliosis and skeletal fragility.

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Objective: To examine the overall incidence rate and trends in emergency department (ED) presentations related to asthma and allergic diseases in regional Australia with a particular focus on First Nations Australians.

Design: A retrospective analysis of data from the Emergency Department Information System.

Setting: This study used data from 12 public hospitals in Central Queensland, Australia, a region encompassing regional, rural and remote outback areas.

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X linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a systemic, chronic condition that significantly impairs quality of life. In XLH, a phosphate regulating endopeptidase homologue X-linked (PHEX) gene mutation leads to excess fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), causing hypophosphataemia and subsequent rickets, lower limb deformity, pain and other sequelae, however there are likely other non-FGF23 mediated mechanisms contributing to disease. Burosumab is an FGF23 inhibiting monoclonal antibody that has been shown to be significantly more effective in treating X linked hypophosphataemia than previously available treatment ("conventional therapy" with oral phosphate and active vitamin D).

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Aim: To systematically review the prevalence and incidence of osteoporosis, osteopenia, low bone mass, and fragility fracture in adults with cerebral palsy (CP), and identify the risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture.

Method: A systematic literature search was performed in the MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, AMED, Cochrane Reviews, EMBASE, and EBM database reviews from inception until May 2024. Search terms covered a combination of keywords for CP, fracture, osteoporosis, incidence and prevalence, and risk factors.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review emphasizes the need for equitable access to clinical trials for children from Indigenous and diverse backgrounds, which should be a priority in trial design.
  • A systematic search of clinical trials conducted in Australia between 2018 and 2022 revealed that over 58% did not report important demographic variables like Indigenous status or ethnicity, highlighting significant gaps in data collection.
  • The findings suggest implementing clear reporting standards and encouraging self-identification to improve demographic data collection, which is crucial for fostering health equity and safety in clinical trials involving children.
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Aim: This scoping review aims to expansively review the reporting of Indigenous status, ethnicity, culture, language and country of birth in Australian paediatric clinical studies.

Methods: Scoping review of Australian clinical studies, including randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials, cluster randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies, with paediatric participants (<18 years) or mixed adult and paediatric participants. PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Embase databases were searched for clinical studies published 1 January 2018 to 28 November 2022.

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X-linked hypophosphataemia is a genetic disease caused by defects in the phosphate regulating endopeptidase homolog X-linked (PHEX) gene and is characterised by X-linked dominant inheritance. The main consequence of PHEX deficiency is increased production of the phosphaturic hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) in osteoblasts and osteocytes. Chronic exposure to circulating FGF23 is responsible for renal phosphate wasting and decreased synthesis of calcitriol, which decreases intestinal phosphate absorption.

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Background: Achondroplasia, the most prevalent skeletal dysplasia, stems from a functional mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene, leading to growth impairment. This condition presents multifaceted medical, functional and psychosocial challenges throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Current management strategies aim to minimise medical complications, optimise functional capabilities and provide comprehensive supportive care.

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Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare, inherited, and systemic disorder characterized by impaired skeletal mineralization and low tissue nonspecific serum alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) activity. It is caused by either autosomal recessive or dominant-negative mutations in the gene that encodes TNSALP. The phenotype of HPP is very broad including abnormal bone mineralization, disturbances of calcium and phosphate metabolism, pain, recurrent fracture, short stature, respiratory impairment, developmental delay, tooth loss, seizures, and premature death.

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Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a complex genetic disorder that affects a range of tissues including muscle and bone. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that Nf1 deficiency in muscle causes metabolic changes resulting in intramyocellular lipid accumulation and muscle weakness. These can be subsequently rescued by dietary interventions aimed at modulating lipid availability and metabolism.

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In a randomized, open-label phase 3 study of 61 children aged 1-12 years old with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) previously treated with conventional therapy, changing to burosumab every 2 weeks (Q2W) for 64 weeks improved the phosphate metabolism, radiographic rickets, and growth compared with conventional therapy. In this open-label extension period (weeks 64-88), 21 children continued burosumab Q2W at the previous dose or crossed over from conventional therapy to burosumab starting at 0.8 mg/kg Q2W with continued clinical radiographic assessments through week 88.

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Article Synopsis
  • Denosumab is a widely-used treatment for RANKL-mediated disorders but has safety concerns, especially in children and adolescents due to limited data.
  • A panel of ten pediatric bone and mineral medicine experts from six countries has provided insights and recommendations based on available evidence and their clinical experience.
  • While Denosumab can be effective, it's important to combine it with other treatments and carefully plan treatment goals to manage potential risks, highlighting the need for more research on optimal use.
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X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare, inherited, multisystem disorder characterized by hypophosphatemia that occurs secondary to renal phosphate wasting. Mutations in PHEX gene (located at Xp22.1) in XLH alter bone mineral metabolism, resulting in diverse skeletal, dental, and other extraskeletal abnormalities that become evident in early childhood and persist into adolescence and adult life.

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Article Synopsis
  • X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is a genetic condition leading to rickets, with prevalence estimates between 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 200,000; study in Australia and New Zealand aimed to better understand its prevalence and characteristics.
  • A total of 75 cases in Australia and 18 in New Zealand were identified, revealing a minimum estimated prevalence of 1.33 per 100,000 in Australia and 1.60 per 100,000 in New Zealand, but many cases go undiagnosed until after age 2, impacting treatment and outcomes.
  • Common symptoms include leg bowing, bone pain, and short stature, with significant complications like nephrocalc
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Objective: To describe changing primary care ordering of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) tests in Australian children.

Design: Longitudinal, population-based descriptive study of 25OHD testing using a large administrative dataset of pathology orders and results, 2003-2018.

Setting And Participants: Three primary health networks in Victoria, Australia.

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Craniosynostosis is a rare condition of skull development, manifesting during fetal and early infant development, and is usually congenital. Craniosynostosis secondary to metabolic disorders, such as X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), is less common and is typically diagnosed later than congenital craniosynostosis. XLH is a rare, progressive, and lifelong hereditary phosphate-wasting disorder characterized by loss of function of the phosphate-regulating endopeptidase homologue, X-linked gene, which is associated with premature fusion of cranial sutures due to abnormal phosphate metabolism (hypophosphatemia) and altered bone mineralization or elevated levels of fibroblast growth factor 23.

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Background: The bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory "off-target" effects that have been hypothesized to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Methods: In this international, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned health care workers to receive the BCG-Denmark vaccine or saline placebo and followed them for 12 months. Symptomatic Covid-19 and severe Covid-19, the primary outcomes, were assessed at 6 months; the primary analyses involved the modified intention-to-treat population, which was restricted to participants with a negative test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 at baseline.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The analysis compared the effects of switching to burosumab versus maintaining higher or lower doses of conventional therapy on skeletal responses, focusing on the improvement in radiographic assessments of rickets at 64 weeks.
  • * Results showed that children receiving burosumab had significantly higher improvements in their rickets and lower levels of serum alkaline phosphatase than those continuing conventional therapy, regardless of their previous phosphate or vitamin D dosages.
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Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare osteolytic, benign but often locally aggressive tumours of the long bones or vertebrae. For spinal ABC, surgical management, embolisation or sclerotherapy alone often carry high morbidity and/or high recurrence rates. Interruption of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) signalling holds promise as an effective therapeutic strategy for these tumours.

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Background: A multivariable logistic regression model resulting from a case-control study of nutritional rickets in Nigerian children suggested that higher levels of serum 25(OH)D may be required to prevent nutritional rickets in populations with low-calcium intakes.

Objectives: This current study evaluates if adding serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)D] to that model shows that increased levels of serum 1,25(OH)D are independently associated with risk of children on low-calcium diets having nutritional rickets.

Methods: Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to model the association between serum 1,25(OH)D and risk of having nutritional rickets in cases (n = 108) and controls (n = 115) after adjusting for age, sex, weight-for age z-score, religion, phosphorus intake and age began walking and the interaction between serum 25(OH)D and dietary calcium intake (Full Model).

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Purpose: The creation of murine gene knockout models to study bone gene functions often requires the resource intensive crossbreeding of Cre transgenic and gene-floxed strains. The developmental versus postnatal roles of genes can be difficult to discern in such models. For example, embryonic deletion of the Sclerostin (Sost) gene establishes a high-bone mass phenotype in neonatal mice that may impact on future bone growth.

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Bruck syndrome is a rare collagen disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance caused by pathogenic variants in either FKBP10 or PLOD2 genes. It is characterized by bone fragility and fractures similar in severity and variability to osteogenesis-imperfecta as well as congenital joint contractures. This article describes an infant with a homozygous (partial) gene deletion of PLOD2 that includes the start codon and would be expected to lead to nonfunctional protein product.

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This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of vibration therapy (VT) on muscle and bone health, motor performance, and respiratory function in patients with congenital myopathy (CM). Eleven participants with CM (11.5 ± 2.

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