Regional and total skeletal measurements in the early postmenopause.

Abstract

In a cross-sectional study of 70 early postmenopausil women, regional bone measurements were compared with total body calcium (TBC*). Spinal and forearm trabecular bone were mainly related to age and time since menopause. In contrast, TBCa and forearm integral (cortical and trabecular) and cortical bone were unrelated to age, although the time since menopause also had some influence. Forearm integral and cortical bone measurements were quite well correlated with TBCa (r = 0.84 and 0.73, respectively, P < 0.001). The correlation between spinal bone measurements and any of the forearm measurements, even purely trabecular bone,' was weak (r < 0.52, P < 0.001). Our results show quite clearly that forearm bone measurements cannot be used to predict bone density in the vertebrae. Loss of ovarian function affects bone in general, and trabecular bone in particular. Bone measurements at specific anatomical sites are clearly necessary for studies of metabolic bone diseases and their response to treatment.

Determinants of bone density in normal women: risk factors for future osteoporosis?

“…It may also reflect differences between the metabolic activity of the trabecular bone in the vertebrae and the proximal femur, as has been shown between other anatomical sites. '8 19 Fourthly, alcohol intake clearly has a deleterious effect on bone density in young women, which has hitherto been unrecognised. It is known that alcoholism is associated with osteoporosis,20-22 perhaps because of a general toxic effect on the bone forming cells.2324 Since the effect of alcohol would be additive to the age related decline in proximal femoral bone density in premenopausal women between five and eight standard (10 g ethanol) drinks a day at age 50 could take the bone density below the theoretical fracture threshold.…”

Radius Bone Strength in Bending, Compression, and Falling and Its Correlation With Clinical Densitometry at Multiple Sites

“…QCT allows for the separate analysis of trabecular and cortical bone and can be performed with conventional clinical CT scanners (16) . However, measurements in the spine may not correlate highly with those at the distal radius, (14,17) and they do not allow for the extraction of geometric parameters of long peripheral bones such as the distal radius. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) at the calcaneus has been shown to display a relevant relationship with trabecular microstructure and mechanical properties (18–20) .…”

Skeletal effects of menstrual disturbances in athletes

“…While one might surmise that the effects of hypogonadism would be greater in regions lacking the positive stimulus of mechanical loading, this does not seem to be the case. These results, together with those investigating postmenopausal women (64,66), suggest that factors other than reproductive hormones may be more important for bone maintenance in upper limb regions.…”

“…A more likely explanation is that the control of bone mass at these sites may be regulated to a greater extent by factors other than gonadal steroids, which would make them less sensitive to changes in ovarian function. This is supported by studies evaluating bone mass changes following menopause, where bone diminution is greatest at axial regions and less at peripheral sites (64,65).…”