Scoliosis in Elderly and Age-Related Bone Loss: A Population-Based Study

Osteoporosis, a common metabolic condition resulting in reduced bone mass, causes significant morbidity in affected individuals by predisposing them to osteoporotic fractures. To determine the relationship of scoliosis and osteoporosis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of 493 men and 762 women were analyzed according to their scoliotic status. No association was observed in the few scoliotic men without osteoarthritis of the spine compared to nonscoliotic men. Without osteoarthritis, scoliotic women had significantly decreased bone mass of the total hip and the femoral neck (p < 0.05) compared to nonscoliotic women, whereas in spine, bone mass was also decreased compared to nonscoliotic women, but not statistically significant. This suggests that scoliosis associates with bone loss, and affected women may benefit from early institution of therapeutic measures.     

Dual-photon absorptiometry of mandibles: in vitro test of a new method

A new method for non-invasive in vivo measurement of changes in bone mineral content (BMC) of mandibles, comprising two-dimensional dual-photon absorptiometry (GT45), has been developed and tested in vitro on mandibular specimens. The analysis showed that: 1) in vitro precision and accuracy of the methods are high, 2) effect of fat and soft tissue on photon attenuation is slight when scanning jaws and forearm bones, 3) BMC in units (U/cm²) in standard area, comprising mandibular base and body in left molar region, is representative for BMC in total mandibular base and body, 4) cortical bone constitutes the main part of measured BMC in mandibles, and 5) BMC of molar region is highly correlated to cortical bone mass in mm³/mm² subperiosteal surface of standard locality anterior to and below mental foramen, measured by histomorphometry. GT45 seems suitable for in vivo estimation of BMC changes in edentulous jaws and in mandibular base and body of dentate mandibles in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. The radiation dose is negligible.     

Metabolic Bone Disease And Vitamin D Deficiency In Crohn's Disease

Most patients with Crohn's disease have deficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Nevertheless, the metabolic bone disease in such patients is heterogeneous and not always responsive to vitamin D.     

Effects of a one-year administration of phosphate and intermittent calcitonin on bone-forming and bone-resorbing cells in involutional osteoporosis: A histomorphometric study

Summary The bone histomorphometric effects of intermittent phosphate and calcitonin therapy during 1 year were analyzed in 15 involutional osteoporotic patients. Phosphate was administered continuously (1.5 g/day) and calcitonin was injected during 5 days every third week (50 IU/day). The bone cell response was analyzed in two separate groups, according to the amount of trabecular bone present in the iliac bone biopsy: patients with trabecular bone volume (TBV) beyond the histomorphometric spontaneous fracture threshold (0.16 mm3/mm3) (group 1; 11 patients) and patients with TBV above this threshold (group 2; 4 patients). In group 1, the treatment significantly increased TBV from 0.113±0.025 to 0.156±0.046 mm3/mm3 by thickening the existing trabeculae rather than by creating new trabeculae; stimulation of bone formation rate (+50%) and significant reduction in active trabecular resorption surfaces (from 0.021±0.013 to 0.010±0.006 mm2/mm2;P<.05) may have led to positive bone balance. In group 2, TBV was not changed because of the treatment's relative inefficiency for reducing the bone-resorbing cell activity, leading to likely persistent negative bone balance. Cortical thickness did not change in either group. This study confirms the positive effectiveness of continuous treatment with phosphate and intermittent calcitonin during 1 year on bone balance in involutional osteoporosis with low amount of bone. The lack of response in patients with normal amount of bone must be verified before raising the hypothesis of different bone cell activity and before anticipating the therapeutic response according to local bone mass besides bone remodeling status in osteoporosis.     

Trabecular bone changes in the greater trochanter after fracture of the femoral neck

Bone samples were taken from the trabecular part of the greater trochanter in 32 patients who had had a fracture of the ipsilateral femoral neck, and from 24 patients who had coxarthrosis. 42 cadavers served as controls. The samples were sectioned, stained and examined histologically.

The coxarthrosis cases differed only slightly from normal, whereas the fracture cases had increased osteoid volume and surface. Osteoclasts were also increased in number, as were active osteoblasts.     

Digital clubbing, hyperhidrosis, acro-osteolysis and osteoporosis. A case resembling pachydermoperiostosis

We report a Cambodian girl with digital clubbing, profuse hyperhidrosis, and joint and leg pain and swelling. She also had extensive acro-osteolysis of distal phalanges as well as generalized osteoporosis. There was no other affected person in the family, but her parents were first cousins. Although the X-ray changes are unusual, this patient probably represents a case of pachydermoperiostosis, either occurring as a new mutation or inherited as an autosomal recessive syndrome.     

绝经后妇女的骨密度与身高关系的回顾性研究

目的　探讨绝经前后妇女的身高缩短值和骨密度的关系。方法　记录 191例绝经前后妇女的身高 ,采用双能X线骨密度测量仪 (DEXA)检测腰椎和髋关节的骨密度。结果　绝经后妇女身高缩短值越多其骨密度值越低 ,身高每缩短 2cm ,腰椎的骨密度大约降低 0 .0 2 5 5 g/cm2 ,而髋关节的骨密度大约降低 0 .0 2 92 g/cm2 ,患有骨质疏松症的绝经后妇女的身高缩短值比没有患骨质疏松症的绝经后妇女的身高缩短值要高 ,二者具有明显的统计学差异 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　通过了解绝经后妇女身高缩短值的多少能够大概估计其骨密度的多少     

钙和降钙素对大白鼠骨代谢的实验研究

手术切除大鼠的甲状腺,喂以标准饲料、低钙饲料,观察使用甲状腺素(T_4)及T_4+降钙素(CT)进行替代治疗的疗效,并对大鼠骨的物理学和组织学等方面的改变进行了研究,发现低钙喂养组骨钙含量、骨小梁百分比等项指标明显低于标准饲料喂养组,低钙喂养条件下,使用T_4+CT替代治疗的大鼠骨钙含量,骨小梁百分比等项指标明显高于单独使用T_4替代治疗的大鼠,差异均有显著性意义(P<0.05或<0.001)。实验证明:钙缺乏可致成年大鼠骨骼发生骨质疏松样病理改变。降钙素则有促进骨生成或维持大鼠骨质含量的作用。     

腰椎骨密度与腰椎稳定性的相关性分析

目的：探讨腰椎骨密度与腰椎稳定性之间的关系。方法：选择70例进行过腰椎骨密度检测，并同时摄腰椎站立正、侧住及过伸过屈功能位X线片的患者进行回顾性分析。按T值不同，将患者分成骨量正常组（I组）、骨量减少组（Ⅱ组）和骨质疏松组（Ⅲ组）3组。测量并比较各组患者的腰椎曲度、Cobb’s角、椎间滑移距以及骶骨倾斜角。结果：①各组患者腰椎曲度、Cobb’s角、椎间滑移距比较，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）；组间两两比较，Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组在腰椎曲度和Cobb’s角两方面差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05），Ⅰ组和Ⅱ组患者的椎间滑移距差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；其余组间差异均有统计学意义。各组患者骶骨倾斜角比较，差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。②腰椎曲度和Cobb’s角分别与骨密度呈正相关（r=0．60，r=0．40）；椎间滑移距与骨密度呈负相关（r=-0．40）；骶骨倾斜角与骨密度无明显相关性（r=-0．14）。结论：随着腰椎骨密度降低，腰椎曲度变直，Cobb’s角减小，椎间滑移度增大，腰椎稳定性下降。