Optimal monitoring time interval between DXA measures in children

The monitoring time interval (MTI) is the expected time in years necessary to detect a significant change between two measures that exceeds the measurement error. The aim of this paper [1] was to determine MTI values for dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in normal children according to age, sex, and skeletal sites.

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Gfi1: a new therapeutic target for multiple myeloma bone disease

Inhibition of osteoblast differentiation characterizes multiple myeloma (MM) bone disease and persists even when patients are in long-term remission. The authors of this study [1] developed a murine multiple myeloma model in which the bone marrow stromal cells remained unresponsive to osteoblast differentiation, inhibiting signals after removal of MM cells.

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Bone microarchitecture assessed by TBS predicts osteoporotic fracture independently of bone density

The measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the ‘‘gold standard’’ for diagnosing osteoporosis but does not directly reflect deterioration in bone microarchitecture. Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a novel measurement of the trabecular bone microarchitecture quantifying local variations in gray level. Like BMD, TBS can be measured from DXA scans.
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Is greater lumbar vertebral BMD associated with more disk degeneration ?

Although numerous studies have shown an association of osteoarthritis with greater bone mineral density (BMD) in peripheral extremities, the relationship between vertebral BMD and disk degeneration remains controversial, possibly due to the inadequacies of BMD and disk degeneration measures.

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Bone formation is significantly greater in women on strontium ranelate than in those on alendronate after 6 and 12 months of treatment

Strontium ranelate and alendronate are two effective osteoporosis treatments. Previous studies have shown that strontium ranelate promotes bone formation and inhibits bone resorption, while alendronate is a potent antiresorptive agent. The aim of this study [1] was to compare bone formation activity of both treatments, performing paired bone biopsies in a group of 268 postmenopausal osteoporotic women, each treated by one of these two molecules, for a final period of 12 months.

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