1.   Among Russian children, half of whom do not regularly drink milk, the shortage of B vitamins, which promote bone growth, is catastrophic, Baturin says.

2.   An annual exam in the years of rapid bone growth can make the difference between a preventable condition and a disability that will persist through adulthood.

3.   As a result, many young Americans today are reaching the age of maximum bone growth with bones highly prone to osteoporosis.

4.   Bones, which are not fully calcified, and growth plates, where bone growth occurs, also are susceptible to injury.

5.   A protein developed by Curis Inc. of Cambridge stimulates bone growth and is used as an alternative to a bone graft to treat fractures that do not heal themselves.

6.   A second concern is damage to growth plates, areas at the ends of bones where bone growth takes place.

7.   All this was learned over the last few decades, as scientists labored to find the magical molecules that would produce natural bone growth.

8.   But there has been no bone growth yet.

9.   Calcium is critical for bone growth and bone density, and the window for fostering both is limited.

10.   During digestion, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A, a nutrient necessary for proper bone growth, healthy skin and hair, tooth development and eyesight.