Subjects with AIS had mean final height intermediate between mean normal male and female, and decreased bone mineral density in the lumbar spine. These data suggest an important role for androgens in normal male growth and bone density not replaced by estrogens.

High frequencies of MEN1 gene mutations were detected in Brazilian families with MEN1, including seven new genetic mutations that are predicted to cause inactivation of the MEN1 tumour suppressor gene. Our data underscore the need to implement a systematic MEN1 screening programme in Brazil.

SUMMARYAlthough BMD measured by DXA is a useful clinical tool for osteoporosis diagnosis, changes resulting from osteoporosis treatment only partially explain the observed reduction in fractures. Several other bone properties that influence its resistance to fractures and explain this discrepancy have been defined as "bone quality" . Bone quality is determined by its structural and material properties and orchestrated by bone turnover, a continuous process of renewal through which old or damaged bone is replaced by a mechanically healthy bone and calcium homeostasis is maintained. Bone structural properties include its geometry (size and shape) and microarchitecture (trabecular architecture and cortical porosity), while bone material properties include its mineral and collagen composition as well as microdamage and its repair. This review aims to update concepts surrounding bone quality and how drugs employed to treat osteoporosis might influence them. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2010;54(2):186-99 Keywords Bone quality; turnover; strength; fracture; osteoporosis; treatment SUMÁRIO Embora a DMO, medida por DEXA, seja um recurso clínico útil para o diagnóstico da osteoporose, mudanças resultantes do tratamento da osteoporose explicam apenas parcialmente a redução de fraturas. As demais propriedades ósseas que influenciam sua resistência a fraturas, que não se referem à massa óssea e explicam a discrepância entre os valores de DMO e o risco de fratura, têm sido definidas como "qualidade óssea" . A qualidade óssea é determinada por suas propriedades estruturais e materiais e orquestrada pela remodelação óssea, um processo contínuo de renovação por meio do qual o osso velho ou danificado é substituído por um osso mecanicamente saudável e a homeostase do cálcio é mantida. As propriedades estruturais ós-seas incluem suas geometria (tamanho e formato) e microarquitetura (arquitetura trabecular e porosidade cortical), enquanto as propriedades materiais referem-se à sua composição mineral e colágena assim como ao microdano e seu reparo. O objetivo desta revisão é uma atualização sobre qualidade óssea e como os medicamentos empregados no tratamento da osteoporose podem modificá-la. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2010;54(2):186-99

Calcitonin has an uncertain role in the preservation of bone mass. Since surgical thyroidectomy abolishes the calcitonin secretion in response to calcium, the bone mineral density at the radius shaft and lumbar spine was measured in 60 patients (5 men, 16 premenopausal, 34 postmenopausal euparathyroid and 5 postmenopausal hypoparathyroid women) who had undergone near total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer 8.4\m=+-\0.7 years before the study. All patients were maintained on suppressive doses of thyroid hormones. Bone mineral density values of the radius shaft (expressed as Z-score) of 34 postmenopausal euparathyroid women was significantly below the normal average (mean \m=+-\sem = \ m= -\ 0 . 5 9 \m=+-\0.2; p=0.01). Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was also below the normal average although the difference only approached statistical significance (\m=-\0.36\m=+-\0.2; 0.05