OBJECTIVE: To review the role of motor physiotherapy in the treatment of preterm infants at risk of developing metabolic bone disease. DATA SOURCES: This is a review of articles published between 1986 and 2009, using the following key-words: premature infant physiologic calcification, physiotherapy techniques, metabolic bone diseases and the respective Portuguese-language descriptors. Twenty nine scientific articles were selected in the PubMed and ISI Web databases, along with one chapter of a Brazilian book. DATA SYNTHESIS: Metabolic bone diseases are a set of conditions related to abnormalities in the physiologic calcification process. They lead to problems going from structural frailness to fracture development. Routine application of passive joint mobilization exercises, massage and positioning exercises correlate with weight gain and increasing bone mineral content and density. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of motor physiotherapy exercises could provide stability or stimulation for bone formation and may consequently avoid or minimize the complications resulting from metabolic bone disease of prematurity.
infant, premature; calcification, physiologic; physiotherapy techniques; bone diseases, metabolic