Brand name for risedronate. Medication for osteoporosis.
Arthropathy
A disease of the joint. Arthritis is a form of arthropathy.
Alendronate
Medication used to treat osteoporosis. Part
of the class of drugs called bisphosphonates. Sold under brand name Fosamax
and also available as a generic.
Biomarker
(aka signature molecule) Substance in body fluids or tissues that indicates condition or disease.
Bisphosphonate
Class of chemical compounds used as
osteoporosis medicines. They slow the reabsorption of minerals into the
bloodstream. More.
Bone Density/Bone Mass
Weight per unit volume in the bone. Highly related to strength of the bones. Easier to measure than strength, so osteoporosis diagnosis keys on this factor. True densities as used in science are mass or weight per unit volume. Bone density as used in medicine is expressed in grams (mass) per square centimeter (area).
Bone Mineral Content (BMC)
Inorganic mineral mass per unit volume in the bone. Correlated with bone mineral density.
Bone mineral density (BMD) test
Diagnostic test physicians
use to find osteoporosis. Very commonly employed test, relatively inexpensive
and non-invasive, used to determine if a person is at risk for fractures.
Also used to measure effectiveness of treatment.
Calcitonin
Hormone secreted by the thyroid gland and
also given medically as a treatment for osteoporosis.Increases bone density
and reduces pain associated with fractures. Stops bone calcium from being
dissolved into the blood. Not used routinely for treatment of osteoporosis.
Calcium
Mineral bone constituent, and important nutrient.
Cancellous bone
Another term for trabecular bone.
Cartilage
Tissue in the skeletal system. Frequently
found at the end of bones; it is allows bones to rub against each other
without damaging the hard parts of the bone. Cartilage is stretchy and tough
and contributes to bone flexibility.
Cholecalciferol
Vitamin D3. A secosteroid. Also called
Calcitriol. Important in treatment of osteoporosis because it aids in intestinal
absorption of calcium. Sometimes doctors give Vitamin D3 to increase the
patient’s serum calcium levels.
Collagen
Type of protein that forms fibers and forms much of the structure of the body, including bones. There are type I, type 2, and type 3 collagen in the body It is mostly type 1 in bones.
Colles fracture
Often called a wrist fracture. Actually, a break in the radius bone in the forearm rather than the not the carpal bones of the wrist. Sometimes a result of osteoporosis.
Compression fracture
An injury to the spine in which
one or more vertebrae collapse. Although compression fractures can be caused
by accidents, they are more commonly found in osteoporosis patients. Can
be treated by vertebroplasty if the pain is severe.Also treated by regular
osteoporosis treatment
Cushing syndrome
Cluster of symptoms including weak muscles, thin arms and legs, a fatty hump between the shoulders, fat around the base of the neck. Caused by excess cortisol in the body. Often co-morbid with osteoporosis.
Cortical bone
One of the two broad types of bone (the
other is cancellous bone) The solid bone that is on the outside of bones.
Diagnosis
the medical classification of which illness a person has.
Disuse Osteoporosis
bone thinning due to lack of stress on the skeleal system or certain bones.
DXA or DEXA
Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Most often used
diagnostic test for osteoporosis. Uses X-Rays at low intensity. Usually
done on hip or spine or wrist bones.
Estrogen
Group of body chemicals generally (although
simplistically) considered the female sex hormone. In the context of osteoporosis,
known for helping bone density stay high.
Endocrine
Refers to the glands that produce hormones
Esophagus
aka oesophagus, part of the alimentary canal - tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. Often irritated by bisphosphonates.
Evista
The brand name for raloxifene, a medicine used
to treat osteoporosis.
Fractures
Broken bones.
FRAX Score
Number used to assess of the risk of suffering a bone fracture due to osteoporosis. FRAX stands for Fracture Risk Assessment. Factors in measured bone density in the femur as well as lifestyle and dimensions about patient (e.g. age, height). https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/FRAX/
Fosamax
The brand name for alendronate, a medicine
used to treat osteoproosis.
Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP)
A form of bone thinning that seems to be due to use of steroid medications, although the pathology is unknown. More.
Hormone
Chemical messengers in the body that are created in the endocrine glands. Part of the body's regulatory system. Hormones travel through the bloodstream.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Treatment sometimes
given to women to increase estrogen levels after menopause. Among other
goals, this therapy can slow the rate of bone loss. This treatment is not
used as often as it once was. Also called estrogen replacement therapy.
Heel Test
Ultrasound screening of foot, hand, finger,
or wrist to determine bone density.
Hypercalcemia
Medical condition where calcium levels in the bloodstream are higher than normal. If bad enough, calcium phosphate can crystalize out of solution and deposit in the body’s tissue, which can lead to a host of problems.
Hypocalcemia
Medical condition where calcium levels in the bloodstream are lower than normal.
Interleukins
Body chemicals that are part of the immune
system. Play a part in bone resorption.
Kyphotic curve
Abnormal concave curving of the spinal
cord. Also called hyperkyphosis when the curvature occurs in the thoracic
part of the spine – this in particular is a sign of osteoporosis. Makes
people look like they have a hump in their backs. The other kind of spinal
curve is called lordotic, but this type is generally not associated with
osteoporosis.
Kyphoplasty
A treatment for kyphotic curves due to compression
fractures. Considered a major improvement in osteoporosis care, this procedure
can stabilize fractures, relieve pain, and actually make the patient taller.
See our page on kyphoplasty
Odontoclast
Type of osteoclast in the jaw involved in the remission of baby teeth
Ossification
The overall physiological process of cartilage
converting into hard bone.
Osteoblastogenesis
Bone formation by deposition of minerals.
Osteoblasts
The builder cells in bone that collect minerals
and secrete the bony mass.
Osteoclastogenesis
Bone resorption. Regular part of the bone remodeling process.
Osteoclastogenesis
The formation of osteoclasts in the bone tissue. A part of the bone remodeling process.
Osteoclasts
Big cells with multiple nuclei that play
an important part in living bone by dissolving bone minerals.
Osteocytes
Cells inside ossified bone. Derived from
osteoblasts.Surrounded by minerals.
Osteoimmunology
Field of study concerned with the interaction
between the immune system and the bone (skeletal) system.
Osteomalacia
Insufficient mineralization
of bones, usually caused by low vitamin D levels.
Osteopenia
Lower than average bone density, but not
so low that the patient is diagnosed with osteoporosis.
Osteopenic
Bone with a T-score between –1and –2.5
Osteoporosis
A clinical disease in which the patient’s
bones become fragile and low density, resulting in an increased risk of
fracture.
Osteoporotic
Bone with a T-score less than –2.5
Osteosarcopenia
Syndrome when a patient has osteoporosis (low bone density) and sarcopenia (low muscle mass).
Parathyroid hormone (PTH)
Regulates the level of calcium
in the blood and hence plays a part in bone density and bone diseases. A
synthetic parathyroid hormone, teriparatide, is used to treat osteoporosis.
Periosteum
Membrane that covers the outside of bones
(except for the ends of long bones).The counterpart to endosteum.
Phosphate
A major bone mineral.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO)
Osteoporosis that develops or is diagnosed after the patient has undergone menopause.
Progestin
Form of the hormone progesterone.
Prognosis
Likely outcome - a forecast- of a disease in a particular person
Raloxifene
A Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator medicine
used to treat osteoporosis. Sold under the brand name is Evista.
Resorption
Dissolving of boney tissue out of the bone and into the bloodstream. The osteoclasts are bone cells that carry out this function.
Rheumatologist
Doctors that specialize in diseases of joints and connective tissues. Sometime get involved in osteoporosis cases, especially difficult or advanced ones. A general practitioner can usually handle most osteoporosis cases.
Rickets
Aka osteomalacia. Insufficient mineralization
of bones, usually caused by low vitamin D levels.
Risedronate
A bisphosphonate drug for osteoporosis
sold under the name Actonel.
Risk factor
Anything that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. Risk factors can include items beyond the patient’s control (age, parents’ health) and inside their control (alcohol consumption), etc.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
A class of chemical compounds that works on estrogen receptors. Used in treatment
of osteoporosis.
Spinal column
The spine or the backbone. Made of
33 interlocking bones called vertebrae. The topmost section is called the
cervical, followed by the thoracic (longest section in chest), the lumbar,
and sacrum, and the coccyx.
Steroid-induced osteoporosis
Osteoporosis resulting
from use of glucocorticosteroids over a long period of time. Corticosteroids
are used as medicines. More
on this.
Syndrome
Cluster of symptoms that often occur together. Often called a syndrome if scientists cannot pin the symptoms on a defined disease.
T-score
A statistical measure of bone density, indicating
the number of standard deviations in difference from the mean of bone densities
of 30-year old people of the same sex. The main indicator in diagnosis of osteoporosis today.
Thyroid hormone
A major body hormone important in regulation
of metabolism.Too much can result in bone loss.
Trabecular bone
the spongy hard tissue on the inside or large bones. Looks porous under a microscope. Contains marrow that makes red blood cells.
Ultrasound
Diagnostic system that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images. Not routinely used in assessment of bone health
Vertebrae
Components of spine and frequent trouble spots
for patients with osteoporosis. There are 33 vertebrae.
Vertebroplasty
Surgical injection of cement
to the spinal cord to stabilize fractures. Often paired with kyphoplasty
for treatment of compression fractures. See page
on Vertebroplasty
Z-score
A statistical measure of bone density, indicating
the number of standard deviations in difference from the mean of bone densities
people of the same sex and age as the patient. A key metric in the diagnosis
of osteoporosis.
