Bone Basics
Intermittent administration of this hormone analog stimulates osteoblast activity and increases bone formation.
What is parathyroid hormone (PTH)?
This imaging test is the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis.
What is a DEXA scan?
In men diagnosed with osteoporosis, evaluation for this category of causes should always be performed.
What are secondary causes of osteoporosis?
This drug class is considered first-line therapy for most patients with osteoporosis.
What are bisphosphonates?
Exercise type that improves bone density
What is weight-bearing or resistance exercise?
Mechanical loading improves bone density primarily by reducing production of this osteocyte-derived inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway.
What is sclerostin?
This is the most common osteoporotic fracture site.
What is the vertebral body (spine)?
A patient with chronic back pain and significant height loss should undergo this imaging study to evaluate for vertebral compression fractures.
What is a lateral spine X-ray
This drug class is considered first-line therapy for most patients with osteoporosis.
What are bisphosphonates?
This trunk movement should generally be avoided in patients with vertebral compression fractures.
What is repetitive spinal flexion?
This multinucleated cell derived from the hematopoietic lineage is responsible for bone resorption.
What is an osteoclast?
Loss of this amount of height should raise suspicion for vertebral compression fractures.
What is greater than 4 cm?
This score is used to interpret bone density in premenopausal women and men under 50.
What is a z-score?
This medication is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits RANKL.
What is denosumab?
This rigid orthosis is commonly used to stabilize thoracolumbar compression fractures.
What is a TLSO (thoracolumbosacral orthosis)?
This bone type is most metabolically active and is preferentially lost in early postmenopausal osteoporosis.
What is trabecular bone?
This medication class is the most common cause of secondary osteoporosis.
What are glucocorticoids (steroids)?
These three skeletal sites are the most commonly measured locations on a DXA scan.
What are the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip?
This anabolic medication stimulates osteoblast activity and is limited to two years of use.
What is teriparatide?
Prolonged use of spinal bracing can cause this unintended consequence.
What is trunk muscle weakness or deconditioning?
These cells function as the mechanosensors of bone and regulate remodeling through sclerostin signaling.
What are osteocytes?
This condition is present when a fragility fracture occurs, even if the T-score is better than −2.5.
What is osteoporosis?
This tool estimates the 10-year probability of hip or major osteoporotic fracture.
What is FRAX?
Stopping this medication without transition therapy can lead to rebound vertebral fractures.
What is denosumab (Prolia)?
In patients with vertebral compression fractures, strengthening these muscle groups improves posture and reduces kyphosis progression.
What are the spinal extensor muscles?