Changes in Bone Mineral Density After Kidney Transplantation

Numerous studies have shown that osteoporosis is common in kidney transplant recipients. However, the change in bone mineral density after kidney transplantation (KT) is not fully understood.

Thirty-nine kidney transplant recipients with bone densitometry at pretransplant and 24 months after KT were reviewed.

The recipients' median age (44.5 ± 10.7 years) and dialysis duration before KT (4.2 ± 3.4 years) were recorded. The T-scores of the lumbar spine and femur neck at 24 months after KT were positively associated with the respective pretransplant T-score (P < .001 in the lumbar spine and P < .001 in the femur neck). However, the T-score after KT did not show significant change (P = .680 in lumbar spine, P = .093 in femur neck). Changes in the T-scores of the lumbar spine and femur neck over 24 months (delta T-score) were negatively associated with the respective pretransplant T-scores (P = .001 in lumbar spine, P = .026 in femur neck). Changes in the T-scores of the lumbar spine and femur neck over 24 months (delta T-score) were also associated with the pretransplant T-scores after the adjustment of other variables.

The change of bone mineral density was related with pretransplant bone mineral density. Careful follow-up of bone densitometry for KT recipients was needed.