[Is bone biopsy necessary for the diagnosis of metabolic bone diseases? Necessity of bone biopsy]

Histological analysis of undecalcified bone biopsy specimens is a valuable clinical and research tool for studying the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of metabolic bone diseases. In case of osteoporosis, bone biopsy is not usually required for the diagnosis ; however, bone histomorphometry may be useful in rare cases with unusual skeletal fragility. Bone histomorphometry also provides valuable information on the mechanism of action, safety and efficacy of new anti-osteoporosis drugs. Bone histomorphometry is useful for the diagnosis and the assessment of treatment response in rickets/osteomalacia and in CKD-MBD (chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorders) . In Japan, bone biopsy is often performed to establish the diagnosis of Paget's disease of bone, especially to differentiate it from metastatic bone disease.