A comparison of the measurements with biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density in the assessment of the efficiency of osteoporosis treatment
M. Baybars Ataoğlu1, O. Şahap Atik1, Orkun Gül2, Baran Sarıkaya3, Gökay Görmeli4, Burak Yağmur Öztürk5, Barış Özgürol6
1Gazi Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, Ankara, Türkiye
2Trabzon Kanuni Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, Trabzon, Türkiye
3Kazan Devlet Hastanesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye
4İnönü Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dalı, Malatya, Türkiye
5Niğde Devlet Hastanesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, Niğde, Türkiye
6Bulancak Devlet Hastanesi, Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, Giresun, Türkiye
Keywords: Bone mineral density; cross-linked N-telopeptide; osteoporosis; urine.
Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to compare the measurements using biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) in the assessment of the efficiency of osteoporosis treatment.
Patients and methods: Between March 2006 and December 2008, 166 patients with osteoporosis in our clinic were included. Patients who were out of contact due to death or other reasons during follow-up were excluded. We compared the measurements of urinary biochemical markers of bone turnover using cross-linked N-telopeptide (Ntx) values and BMD in 60 patients (49 females, 11 males; mean age: 65.7 years; range: 42 to 87 years) with osteoporosis who were treatment-naive and completed study.
Results: Twenty-nine (48.3%) of the patients received surgical treatment, while 31 (51.7%) received conservative therapy. Urine NTx values of the patients decreased 38.82% at three months; 51.99% at six months and 66.41% at 12 months. Lumbar vertebra BMD increased by 20.7% and femur neck BMD increased by 11.9% at the end of the first year.
Conclusion: Urine NTx values respond to osteoporosis treatment faster than BMD measurements; thereby it may be suitable to use this parameter for the monitorization of the treatment efficiency.