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Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Changes in forearm bone mass and bone size after menopause--a mean 24-year prospective study
O Svejme1, H G Ahlborg, M K Karlsson
1Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Orthopaedics, Lund University, Department of Orthopaedics, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden. ola.svejme@med.lu.se
Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions
|December 1, 2012
Summary
Postmenopausal bone loss slows after the first decade. Periosteal expansion, a bone remodeling process, occurs primarily in the initial 10 years after menopause.
Area of Science:
- Bone biology and postmenopausal skeletal changes.
Background:
- Bone loss and periosteal expansion are observed after menopause.
- The early accelerated bone loss is transient, but its relationship with periosteal expansion remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and skeletal structure after menopause.
- To determine if periosteal expansion is linked to early postmenopausal bone loss and estrogen levels.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 81 Caucasian women for an average of 24 years postmenopause.
- Bone mineral density and skeletal structure of the distal forearm were assessed using single-photon absorptiometry.
- Serum estradiol levels and fracture incidence were recorded; a Strength Index was calculated.
Main Results:
- Annual BMD loss decreased from 2.0% in the first 8 years to 1.0% in subsequent periods.
- Annual periosteal expansion was 1.0% in the first 8 years, then ceased.
- Estrogen levels correlated with BMD loss but not significantly with bone width changes.
Conclusions:
- Periosteal expansion in the distal forearm appears to be limited to the first decade after menopause.
- This suggests a distinct phase of bone remodeling early in the postmenopausal period.
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