SY66 - Hardwired: Where Nerves Meet Bones

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM CT

Location: Room W183BC

Symposium Chair(s)

Muriel Babey (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor, Adjunct
UCSF, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes
Kensington, CA, United States

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Rajesh Jain, MD

Associate Professor
Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure(s): No relevant disclosure to display

Disclosure(s):

Muriel Babey, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Rajesh Jain, MD: No relevant disclosure to display

Xiaobing Yu, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

This session will explore how neurologic and neuromuscular conditions influence bone health through three interconnected themes. First, attendees will examine emerging evidence on how neural pathways regulate bone formation, including how disruptions in sensory‑neuron signaling can trigger heterotopic ossification following injury or in rare genetic conditions. The session will then discuss the skeletal consequences of stroke and prolonged disuse, highlighting how loss of mechanical loading leads to rapid reductions in bone density and structural integrity. Finally, the program will address the profound impact of neuromuscular disorders—such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy—on bone fragility, focusing on the combined roles of muscle weakness, reduced mobility, and long‑term glucocorticoid use in elevating fracture risk. Together, these discussions will provide an integrated understanding of how nervous system injury, immobility, and muscle disease converge to shape long‑term.

Learning Objectives:

To understand the mechanisms of bone fragility in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the importance of longitudinal skeletal health assessment and early bone‑protective interventions, and discuss how evolving muscle‑targeted therapies influence skeletal health in this population
Recall how pain processing sensory neurons contribute to injury induced bone formation and describe the therapeutic potential of targeting peripheral nociceptors for bone disease and associated pain,
Outline the key clinical, diagnostic, and management issues affecting bone health and fractrue risk after stroke, and identify current knowledge gaps in this evolving field,

Presentations:

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM CT

Novel Insights into Neurologic Control of Osteogenesis
Symposium Speaker: Xiaobing Yu, MD (he/him/his) – University of California, San Francisco
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM CT

Skeletal Fragility in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Closing the Gap Between Risk and Intervention
Symposium Speaker: Leanne Ward, MD (she/her/hers) – Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM CT

Stroke and Disuse: Impact on Bone Health
Symposium Speaker: Frances Milat, MBBS FRACP MD – Hudson Institute of Medical Research