Bone Abstracts

Introduction and objectives: Male osteoporosis in the Arab World and the Middle East should be considered a major public health issue, and a problem in clinical medicine which deserves adequate attention similar to post-menopausal osteoporosis. There is a great lack of awareness among men about osteoporosis, and treatment is not as well codified as in women.

The aim of this study was to evaluate referrals of male patients to Osteodensitometry Unit in a University Hospital in Southern Lebanon.

Materials and methods: All records of patients (7002) referred for dual X-Ray absorpitiometry over a period of 14 years (1997–2010) were reviewed and assessed.

Age, height, weight, risk factors, reason for submission to DXA study and BMD results of spine (L1–L4), Femur (neck and total) and forearm (33%) were documented on paper forms(questionnaires) as well as on SPSS-17 Software Program.

Results: The total male referral made up 4.6% (321/7002) for the period 1997–2010. Referral rate did not increase over years.

Mean age of patients was 66.4 years with a mean BMI 27.03.

The most common reason for performing the DXA study was check up (48.6%) and bone pain and myalgia in 43.9%.

Mean bone densities of lumbar spine (L1–L4), femur (total), femur (neck), and forearm (33%) were indicative of osteopenia.

Conclusion: Our study showed a low referral rate of males for DXA study and this suggests that osteoporosis is still viewed as a disease of females.

Mean low bone densities in males are to be seriously considered.

We call for greater attention to be paid to the risk factors in males before the admission for a fracture. So male osteoporosis would be timely diagnosed and timely treated.