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Introduction. The purpose of treating osteoarthritis is to relieve pain, improve the function of the osteoarthritic joint, and arrest further development of osteoarthritis through non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment modalities. Pharmacological osteoarthritis therapy. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, guidelines and recommendations are often consulted, but they do not dictate the treatment mode, which is tailored to the individual needs of the patient. These guidelines promote desired and positive treatment outcomes, but cannot predict a specific outcome. They are also valuable when analyzing the use of topical and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, keeping dosage as low as possible for the shortest time. For example, monitoring hepatotoxicity is advised when administering paracetamol, while caution is needed when prescribing drugs with a central effect due to the possible development of addiction and appearance of toxic effects. A significant body of research on the use of chondroprotectors exists, but there is a large discrepancy across studies. Nonetheless, their findings indicate benefits of intra-articular administration of glucocorticoids. However, their more frequent administration can lead to accelerated cartilage loss, while guidelines differ concerning intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid, the administration of plasma enriched with platelets, and the administration of stem cells due to the heterogeneity of the preparations and the lack of standardization in their administration. Conclusion. Non-surgical therapy is a growing field of research, especially from a pharmacological point of view, intending to find the best treatment to slow down or completely stop further development of osteoarthritis.

Introduction. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mineral density and damage to the bone microarchitecture, which leads to bone fragility, thus increasing the risk of osteoporotic fractures. While different diagnostic methods can be employed for detecting bone mineral density decrement in a timely manner, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry remains the gold standard in research and clinical practice. Bone mineral density estimation methods. Osteoporosis can be diagnosed through conventional radiography, quantitative ultrasonography, quantitative computed tomography, and magnetic resonance. Nonetheless, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is the gold standard in the diagnosis of osteoporosis on which further treatment and monitoring are based. The dual energy X-ray absorptiometry apparatus is equipped with the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, which estimates the 10- year probability of a major fracture and hip fracture due to osteoporosis. The use and interpretation of osteoporosis diagnostic evaluation modalities is based on the International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines for diagnosing osteoporosis in adults and children. According to the International Society for Clinical Densitometry recommendations, the aforementioned quantitative visualization modalities should be used alongside laboratory analyses of bone metabolism markers to supplement diagnostics and monitor treatment efficacy in patients suffering from osteoporosis. Conclusion. Assessment of risk factors and early diagnosis are prerequisites for timely treatment and effective monitoring, which is necessary for arresting the progression of bone mineral density loss and preventing the occurrence of osteoporotic fractures.