Effects of haemodialysis on bone in chronic renal failure

Quantitative histological studies have been done on 80 sequential bone biopsies taken at yearly intervals from 37 patients with chronic renal failure on long-term haemodialysis treatment. Twenty-three patients were studied at the start of dialysis, and in about half the bone was abnormal. During dialysis mean osteoid area and the maximum number of unmineralized osteoid lamellae increased, and mineralized bone area decreased. The loss of bone during dialysis was also reflected in reduction of the width of individual trabeculae. These trends were less obvious in patients already established on dialysis at the time of the initial biopsy. The course of osteitis fibrosa appeared to be unaffected by dialysis.