Bone Abstracts

Brittle bones have been reported in children, adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), independently of sex; this has been termed CF-related bone disease. In CF patients with the F508del mutation in the (Cftr) gene, vertebral fractures and the subsequent dorsal kyphosis decrease pulmonary function, thus accelerating the course of the disease. Mice with the homozygous F508del mutation in CFTR develop a severe osteopenic phenotype early on, in both sexes (Le He...

Turner syndrome (TS) is known to be associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture. Childhood treatment with GH has been considered standard of care for treatment of growth failure in TS, while the influence of GH on bone health has been poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of GH on bone microarchitecture on a cohort of TS subjects.TS subjects aged 16–45 were included. Bone mineral density (BMD) was as...

Fractures are very common and affect 2% of the population per annum. Fragility fractures represent the greatest unmet need and are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Currently, there is no approved therapy for enhancing healing of fragility fractures. We previously reported that upregulation of the early inflammatory response following skeletal injury can promote fracture repair (Glass et al PNAS 2011). Inflammation represents the earliest response followin...

Background: Osteoclasts are unique multinucleated cells that originate from the fusion of monocytes. They are the only cells known to be capable of bone resorption. Interestingly, the foreign body multinucleated giant cell (FBGC) arises from the same lineage as the osteoclast, and they share numerous similar characteristics, among which the expression of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP). Yet, it is not known whether the FBGC has the capacity to resorb bone.<p cl...

Bone resorption and formation occur in a tightly regulated fashion reflecting the coupled activities of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Several pathological conditions perturb this balance, including osteoporosis and skeletal metastases. In the case of metastases, the uncoupling of resorption and formation activities contributes to disseminated tumor cells homing to the bone and to tumor growth within the bone in highly localized regions. Therefore, a site-specific marker of bone...

Bisphosphonate treatment reduces fracture risk in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, some patients have an inadequate response to treatment. Estradiol and sclerostin play an important role in bone metabolism. Sclerostin is an endogenous inhibitor of osteoblastic activity and estrogen deficiency increases osteoclast activity and bone resorption.We examined the influence of both measures on fracture incidence in postmenopausal osteoporosis in...

Hip fractures are a major cause of burden in terms of mortality, disability, and costs. In Ireland, 3000 hip fracture occur annually and is expected to increase over the coming years1. Estimated cost of hip fractures is &z.euro;14 300/admission2. Outpatient non-attendance is a source of inefficiency, wasting time, resources and lengthens waiting lists. Non attendees have a significant negative impact on productivity, their own care and resources. In 2008,...

Cases of non-vitamin D deficiency rickets have been reported in African countries including The Gambia, South Africa and Nigeria where the likely aetiology is a chronically low dietary calcium intake. Additional aetiological factors in Gambian studies are iron deficiency leading to a disruption in phosphate metabolism.Surgical correction of pathological rickets-like lower-limb deformities is the most common operation performed at the Beit Cure Orthopaedi...

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) of prematurity is a well-recognized complication of preterm birth. Yet there is limited evidence for the optimal assessment, monitoring, and subsequent bone health management.Retrospective audit of 171 infants born <32 weeks’ gestation between November 2012 and January 2014 at three Monash Health neonatal units (Melbourne, Australia) was undertaken. Infants had mean gestational age (GA) 28.6±2.1 weeks and birth ...

Introduction: Insulin sensitising agents are reported to have a diverse range of effects on bone with metformin exerting positive effects and thiazolidinenediones (TZDs) exerting negative effects. 5’AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a critical role in cellular energy homeostasis. It is widely expressed in the body and can be activated by metformin.Objective:: We investigated the role of AMPK pathway in mediating the effects of metformin on t...