Osteoporosis Vitamins
Osteoporosis Diagnosis
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| Osteoporosis Diagnosis |
Generally this osteoporosis is not detected until clear clinical symptoms, such as the reduction of stature and fractures. These usually occur in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the neck, the femur and distal radius.
It is an asymptomatic disease, until the submission of its bone complications need early diagnosis, which is induced by medical history, with analysis of genetic, nutritional, environmental factors and risk factors, as well as the determination of biochemical markers of bone age and the extent of bone mineral content by densitometry.
A physical examination which must include a measurement of the size to detect their loss is needed first. The profile of the dorsal and lumbar spine x-rays are also useful to rule out the presence of vertebral fractures. The bone mineral density can be measured to detect osteoporosis before symptoms occur (Mineral Density bone / BMD) through a densitometry.
Currently, the two easiest ways to diagnose this disease are:
1) through a radiological DXA dual energy (DEXA Scan) of the lumbar spine and the hip, which quantifies the mineral content per unit area; Thus the bone mineral density (BMD) is obtained in g. cm2, referring to the area of projection; and
2) by means of a computerized axial tomography (TAC) that provides a volumetric density in g. m3.
In 1994, a Committee of experts from the World Health Organization proposed criterion optical for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in female population those values of mineral content or bone mineral density be situated below - 2.5 standard deviations from the average of healthy young women (peak of bone mass).
The diagnosis of osteoporosis can often go unnoticed if not you think in it, due to the beginning so insidious that it has and the lack of sensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods. Bone demineralization is not detected, so not to lose at least 30% of the bone mineral density.
The fracture is the result of osteoporosis. We must think about it to be able to diagnose, but I would be very interesting that we could predict his appearance, and this is very difficult to accomplish, because there are different bone mass, depending on the mechanical factors that occur concurrently in the individual.
Methods not invasive as densitometry via ultrasound measurements in patients who have a true risk of osteoporosis can be, with when in doubt you must practice a densitometry by dual x-ray absorptiometry to confirm the suspicion of osteopenia, a cheap way and non-invasive predict this pathology.
Patients exposed to prolonged treatments with glucocorticoids have a reduction in bone mineral density, and 30-50% of them suffer from vertebral fractures. The degree of bone loss is related to the duration of treatment and the used dose. But probably not related to the underlying diagnosis, age, and sex of the patient. Subjects with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis must make periodic checks of the bone mineral density when they are in corticoideo chronic treatment every 6 or 12 months.
Ideally we should have a densitometry basal before beginning treatment, and then follow up every 6 months.
The use of biochemical markers of bone resorption and formation represents a good step forward for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. It seems that high values of these biochemical markers indicate a bone remodeling high and are associated with a decrease in bone mass.
They also serve to predict an accelerated pace of loss of bone mass.
In osteoporosis, the bone biopsy may be useful to study the bone architecture and value decreased trabecular interconnection or to evaluate the effect of a treatment. Anyway, the bone biopsy is not essential for the diagnosis of osteoporosis that you can perform using the other methods discussed.
