Fracture healing is the ongoing process but it is often delayed in elderly patients. Because the fractures in elderly patients with osteoporosis are severely comminuted and their quality of bone is poor, the associated delay of fracture healing is likely to lead to surgical failure. Recently, as a way to promote healing fractures, intermittent systemic parathyroid hormone treatment has been actively researched. Although the effect of parathyroid hormone, which is demonstrated by animal experiments, is well known, there are not many clinical applications. The authors report 2 cases which had the time-shortened callus formation by intermittent parathyroid hormone (teriparatide) administration after surgical treatment, maximum preservation of periosteum as possible, in elderly patients who have supracondylar fracture on distal femur.
Aged ; Animal Experimentation ; Bony Callus ; Femoral Fractures ; Femur ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Periosteum

Although alendronate was considered generally safe and effective to osteoporosis in short-long term studies, it remains the potential risk of severely suppressed bone turnover that causes insufficient fracture of femur. In this report, we describe a patient of atypical subtrochanteric fracture who treated with prolonged alendronate. A 68-years old woman who had a history of medication of alendronate for 12 years was presented to the outpatient clinic with right thigh pain. The radiographs revealed thickening and fracture line of the lateral side of subtrochanteric area of the right femur. She discontinued taking the medicine and follow up closely. After 1 month later, she sustained atypical subtrochanteric femoral fracture after simple fall, and underwent an internal fixation with compression hip screw. After operation, bone biopsy was done with tetracycline staining for valuation of bone metabolism and severe osteoporosis was observed. Although long-term use of bisphosphonate could increase bone mineral density, this case showed that it could lead insufficient fracture by decreasing bone strength through severely suppressed bone turnover, inhibition of normal bone formation and decreased bone quality.
Alendronate ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Biopsy ; Bone Density ; Diphosphonates ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Tetracycline ; Thigh

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Alzheimer's disease patients. METHODS: One hundred and twenty eight patients with Alzheimer's disease were included in this study. The patients are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease using Korean-Mini Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE) and checked bone mineral density using single-energy (SE) quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in 2010. To define abnormality in terms of QCT of the spine, a bone mineral density (BMD) spine below 80 mg/cm3 is indicative of osteoporosis and BMD between 80 and 120 mg/cm3 is indicative osteopenia. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteoporosis in the control group is 29.73%. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the Alzheimer's disease patients is 96.87%. The prevalence of osteopenia in the Alzheimer's disease patients is 3.12%. The prevalence of severe osteoporosis fracture in the Alzheimer's disease patients is 32.03%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of osteoporosis in Alzheimer's disease patients is higher than in the control group.
Alzheimer Disease ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Spine

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the bone mineral density (BMD) and severity of spinal osteoarthritis (spondylosis) in osteoporotic spinal compression fracture. METHODS: Fifty six patients were evaluated 66 cases had an osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture between January 2008 and June 2010. The average patient age was 76.2 years (M/F : 8/48). Age and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) were measured, and the BMD was performed using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Simple thoracolumbar (T-L) spine lateral radiography was evaluated for three criteria: presence of osteophytes, disc space narrowing and vertebral body sclerosis. The findings were graded 0 to 3 and analyzed statistically for a correlation with the BMD and fractured vertebrae. RESULTS: Acute compression fractures comprised of 15 cases and the most common site of acute fractures with old fractures was lumbar spine (L1; 30 cases, 45.4%). The average of BMI was 23.32 and BMD (T-score) was -4.47. Pearson's rho showed a positive association between the weight, height and the BMD (P < 0.01). In terms of the BMD versus spondylosis, there was a positive association with high score in the high order cortical bone. Compression fractures occurrence rate in the absent and present of spondylosis was 74.3% and 22.4%, and 69% occur in the spinal segmental with no bony spur with chi-square test (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In the present of spondylosis was high score of cortical BMD and low rate of compression fracture. Spondylosis could be one of a factor of the occurrence in acute and adjacent compression fracture after old fractures.
Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Spine ; Osteophyte ; Sclerosis ; Spine ; Spondylosis

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the fracture type and adjacency of accompanied fractures in acute osteoporotic spinal compression fracture using whole spine sagittal MRI (WS-MRI), and to know the relation of sagittal vertical axis (SVA), body mass index (BMI), and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: From June 2007 to December 2010, 167 patients who had acute spinal compression fractures confirmed by WS-MRI divide in three groups. 82 patients (M/F : 25/57) who had acute fractures only were in group 1, 79 patients who had acute and old fractures were in group 2, and 20 patients who had acute fractures after vertebroplasy were in group 3. To analyze the fracture type and adjacency of accompanied fractures in acute osteoporotic spinal compression fractures which combined chronic fracture or vertebroplasty using the WS-MRI and compared with the control group who had no spinal fractures measured the SVA. In all groups, we measured BMI, and BMD. RESULTS: In WS-MRI, 31 patients in group 1 had L1 which was the most common fracture site. Twenty two patients had chronic fractures and more than 3 remote levels at the acute fracture site in group 2 and especially among there 14 patients have each level in cervicothoracic and lumbar vertebrae. In group 3 had old fracture and adjacent fracture was 14 and 11 patients. Compared with the control group, all groups had increased SVA, especially in group 2 which has acute and chronic compression fractures. They have no significantly difference of BMI in each group, but group 2 and 3 had a significant lower BMD than group 1. CONCLUSION: Fourteen patients of coexisting fractures in acute osteoporotic spinal compression fractures with WS-MRI which could be missed in the conventional MRI. Additionally this study suggests that longer SVA causes sagittal imbalance, and BMD is more relative than BMI in refractures of chronic compression fracture patients.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Osteoporosis ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine ; Vertebroplasty

OBJECTIVES: The inhibitory effect of Dickkopf (Dkk)-1 on osteoblastic differentiation through blocking Wnt signaling has been well studied. However, the role of other members of the subfamily of Dkks remains unclear. We have examined the role of different Dkks on osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells and apoptosis of osteoblasts. METHODS: Osteoblastic differentiation was induced by treatment of Wnt-3a with Dkks or vehicle in C3H10T1/2 cells and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured. Serum deprivation induced apoptosis was performed with pre-treatment of Dkks or vehicle in MC3T3-E1 cells and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was done. RESULTS: Dkk-2 at low concentrations (5 and 20 nM) and Dkk-3, -4 at any concentrations (5 to 100 nM) significantly increased Wnt-3a-induced ALP activity, whereas Dkk-2 at high concentration (100 nM) significantly reduced. Treatment of Dkk-2, -3 and -4 at high concentration (100 nM) showed significant decreases of Wnt/beta-catenin transcriptional activity, whereas no effects were seen at low concentration (20 nM). In parallel experiments, treatment of Dkk-1 showed robust dose dependent inhibition not only in ALP activity but also in Wnt/beta-catenin transcriptional activity. Dkk-2, -3 and -4 increased serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblasts, while Dkk-1 had no effect. CONCLUSIONS: We found that unlike Dkk-1, Dkk-3 and -4 stimulated early osteoblastic differentiation at various concentrations regardless of their inhibitory effects on Wnt/beta-catenin transcriptional activity at high concentration. Dkk-2 had a biphasic effect where the lower doses significantly increased ALP activity while the high dose was inhibitory. Dkk-2, -3 and -4 stimulated osteoblast apoptosis whereas Dkk-1 had no effect.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Mice ; Osteoblasts

Parathyroid carcinoma is very rare in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, only accounts for 1% to 2% of all cases. It is characterized by higher incidence of renal dysfunction, metabolic bone disease and gastrointestinal symptoms. Although the clinical manifestations of hyperparathyroidism are more severe in patients with parathyroid carcinoma when compared to those with those with parathyroid adenoma, it is difficult to differentiate carcinoma from adenoma without pathologic confirmation. To our knowledge, there have only been a few cases of hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid carcinomas reported to date. Here, we report a case of 63-year-old woman developing osteoporosis, hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia due to a parathyroid tumor and was diagnosed with parathyroid carcinoma postoperatively.
Adenoma ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Hypophosphatemia ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Neoplasms

Recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1-34 (rHPTH; 1-34, teriparatide) increases bone mass and increases osteoporotic fracture by stimulating new bone formation. It was approved in the United States for treatment of osteoporosis in men and women, and its effectiveness and safety was proved. Mild hypercalcemia was observed, but persistent and severe hypercalcemia was not observed in the studies of teriparatide. In this case, severe hypercalcemia was developed from patient having gait disturbance who was treated with vitamin D, calcium and teripartide for two months to treat osteoporosis after subtrochanteric fracture. Hypercalcemia was resolved with discontinuation of teriparatide. Severe hypercalcemia is not a common complication of teriparatide and monitoring of serum calcium level is routinely not recommended. But it is necessary to pay close attention to patients who were treated with teriparatide, especially in immobilized patients.
Calcium ; Female ; Gait ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Male ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Teriparatide ; United States ; Vitamin D

Parathyroid carcinoma is very rare in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, only accounts for 1% to 2% of all cases. It is characterized by higher incidence of renal dysfunction, metabolic bone disease and gastrointestinal symptoms. Although the clinical manifestations of hyperparathyroidism are more severe in patients with parathyroid carcinoma when compared to those with those with parathyroid adenoma, it is difficult to differentiate carcinoma from adenoma without pathologic confirmation. To our knowledge, there have only been a few cases of hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid carcinomas reported to date. Here, we report a case of 63-year-old woman developing osteoporosis, hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia due to a parathyroid tumor and was diagnosed with parathyroid carcinoma postoperatively.
Adenoma ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Hypophosphatemia ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Neoplasms

Osteoporotic fractures of the pelvic ring are not uncommon and among them sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) are often overlooked in patients with buttock or low back pain following no or minimal trauma, which results in diagnostic delays. SIFs are often bilateral and are commonly associated with other fractures - most frequently with a pubic ramus fracture. However, it remains unclear which fracture (sacral or pubic ramus) occurs first, and the only report on the subject found that the fracture sequence is initiated by a sacral fracture. The authors describe a case of sequential bilateral SIFs in a 74-year old woman following superior and inferior pubic rami fractures on one side. In conclusion we suggested that SIFs can occur after pelvic ring injury in any side because biomechanical disruption of the pelvic ring can induce the sacral fracture in patients with severe osteoporosis.
Buttocks ; Female ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures