Does the Severity of Obesity Influence Bone Mineral Density Values in Premenopausal Women?

Enhancing Osteoporosis Management: A Thorough Examination of Surgical Techniques and Their Effects on Patient Outcomes

Managing osteoporotic fractures in older individuals is a difficult task in orthopedic surgery. It requires a careful approach that combines advanced diagnostic methods, customized surgical treatments, and comprehensive rehabilitation strategies. This article presents the results of an analysis carried out at the University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest. The analysis specifically examines the treatment of osteoporotic fractures using different osteosynthesis techniques. Although diagnostic tools like dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) have improved, a considerable number of fractures still happen in people who do not have obvious osteoporosis. This emphasizes the importance of using additional diagnostic measures such as high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) to improve the accuracy of predictions. The study demonstrates the intricate nature of surgical decision-making and the significance of adjusting techniques to meet the specific needs of each patient. An instance of osteosynthesis failure resulting from the inappropriate choice of method highlighted the crucial significance of a thorough preoperative assessment. The discussion highlights the importance of early mobilization and rehabilitation in reducing the risks associated with prolonged immobilization and improving patient recovery. This paper strongly supports the use of evidence-based and patient-centered methods in the management of osteoporotic fractures. It emphasizes the importance of utilizing the most recent advancements in diagnostic and surgical technologies. Promising advancements in orthopedic medicine lie in the future, particularly in the integration of interdisciplinary research and personalized medicine. These advancements have the potential to enhance patient outcomes in this population that is at high risk.

Links among Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Osteoporosis: Bone as a Target

Obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and osteoporosis are serious diseases with an ever-increasing incidence that quite often coexist, especially in the elderly. Individuals with obesity and T2DM have impaired bone quality and an elevated risk of fragility fractures, despite higher and/or unchanged bone mineral density (BMD). The effect of obesity on fracture risk is site-specific, with reduced risk for several fractures (e.g., hip, pelvis, and wrist) and increased risk for others (e.g., humerus, ankle, upper leg, elbow, vertebrae, and rib). Patients with T2DM have a greater risk of hip, upper leg, foot, humerus, and total fractures. A chronic pro-inflammatory state, increased risk of falls, secondary complications, and pharmacotherapy can contribute to the pathophysiology of aforementioned fractures. Bisphosphonates and denosumab significantly reduced the risk of vertebral fractures in patients with both obesity and T2DM. Teriparatide significantly lowered non-vertebral fracture risk in T2DM subjects. It is important to recognize elevated fracture risk and osteoporosis in obese and T2DM patients, as they are currently considered low risk and tend to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. The implementation of better diagnostic tools, including trabecular bone score, lumbar spine BMD/body mass index (BMI) ratio, and microRNAs to predict bone fragility, could improve fracture prevention in this patient group.

Association between Adiposity and Bone Mineral Density in Adults: Insights from a National Survey Analysis

Adiposity and bone mineral density (BMD) are closely associated. The aim of this research was to investigate the association between BMD and adiposity measures in adults, including gynoid percent fat (GPF), android percent fat (APF), total percent fat (TPF), visceral adipose tissue percent (VAT%), and total lean mass percent (TLM%). Participants (n = 11,615) aged 18 years and older were analyzed using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 1999 to 2018. Associations between BMD and adiposity measures were investigated, and potential differences based on gender and age were explored. Significant negative associations were observed among TPF, APF, GPF, VAT%, and BMD in the fully adjusted models, while TLM% and BMD were positively associated. Stratifying by age and sex, TPF, GPF, and VAT% consistently demonstrated a negative correlation with BMD. In the young adult group, a TPF of 38.2% eliminated the negative correlation between BMD and TPF. Male BMD exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship with APF, peaking at 35.6%, while a similar pattern was observed for the middle-aged group BMD and APF, with a peak at 31.7%. This large-sample research found a significant negative association between adiposity measures and BMD, providing valuable revelations regarding the intricate connection between adiposity and bone health.

Obesity and Bone: A Complex Relationship

There is a large literature on the relationship between obesity and bone. What we can conclude from this review is that the increase in body weight causes an increase in BMD, both for a mechanical effect and for the greater amount of estrogens present in the adipose tissue. Nevertheless, despite an apparent strengthening of the bone witnessed by the increased BMD, the risk of fracture is higher. The greater risk of fracture in the obese subject is due to various factors, which are carefully analyzed by the Authors. These factors can be divided into metabolic factors and increased risk of falls. Fractures have an atypical distribution in the obese, with a lower incidence of typical osteoporotic fractures, such as those of hip, spine and wrist, and an increase in fractures of the ankle, upper leg, and humerus. In children, the distribution is different, but it is not the same in obese and normal-weight children. Specifically, the fractures of the lower limb are much more frequent in obese children. Sarcopenic obesity plays an important role. The authors also review the available literature regarding the effects of high-fat diet, weight loss and bariatric surgery.

Does the severity of obesity influence bone density, geometry and strength in adolescents?

BACKGROUND

Relationships between the severity of obesity and bone health remain underexplored.

OBJECTIVES

To compare whole-body and localized bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD), trabecular bone score (TBS) and hip geometry and strength between adolescents with obesity versus extreme obesity.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 154 adolescents (12-15 years, 62% females) who were classified as having obesity (OG, [95th-99th] percentile) or extreme obesity (EOG, >99th percentile). Fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM), BMC, BMD for total-body-less-head (TBLH), lumbar spine (LS), hip, TBS and geometric and strength indices at the narrow-neck (NN), femoral shaft (FS) and intertrochanteric regions (IT) were assessed by Dual-X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA).

RESULTS

There was no significant sex-interaction. For both sexes, TBLH BMC and BMD were not different between groups. TBS was lower in EOG compared with OG in both sexes in univariate analysis and after adjustment with maturation and body weight (p < 0.05). Hip BMD was significantly higher in the EOG compared to OG only after adjustment with maturation and fat mass percentage (p < 0.05 for men, p < 0.01 for women). For both sexes, TBLH, LS and hip BMC and BMD positively correlated with weight, BMI, LM and FM. TBS negatively correlated with BMI-percentile in both sexes, with a negative correlation with FM for males alone. Hip BMC and BMD, BMD, ACT and CSA at the three hip sites positively correlated with BMI-percentile in males.

CONCLUSIONS

Extreme obesity impacts bone health depending on anatomical sites, altering lumbar trabecular bone in both males and females adolescents.

Changes in bone mass associated with obesity and weight loss in humans: Applicability of animal models

The implications of obesity and weight loss for human bone health are not well understood. Although the bone changes associated with weight loss are similar in humans and rodents, that is not the case for obesity. In humans, obesity is generally associated with increased bone mass, an outcome which is exacerbated by advanced age and menopause. In rodents, by contrast, bone mass decreases in proportion to severity and duration of obesity, and is influenced by sex, age and mechanical load. Despite these discrepancies, rodents are frequently used to model the situation in humans. In this review, we summarise the existing knowledge of the effects of obesity and weight loss on bone mass in humans and rodents, focusing on the translatability of findings from animal models. We then describe how animal models should be used to broaden the understanding of the relationship between obesity, weight loss, and skeletal health in humans. Specifically, we highlight the aspects of study design that should be considered to optimise translatability of the rodent models of obesity and weight loss. Notably, the sex, age, and nutritional status of the animals should ideally match those of interest in humans. With these caveats in mind, and depending on the research question asked, our review underscores that animal models can provide valuable information for obesity and weight-management research.

Influence of sarcopenia on bone health parameters in a group of eumenorrheic obese premenopausal women

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to compare bone mineral density (BMD) and geometric indices of hip bone strength in a group of obese sarcopenic premenopausal women (n = 27) and a group of obese premenopausal women with normal appendicular lean mass (ALM)/body mass index ratio (BMI) (n = 26).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ALM/BMI criterion of The Foundation for the National Institute of Health was used; women with an ALM/BMI ratio < 0.512 m² were considered obese sarcopenic. Body composition and bone variables were measured by DXA. DXA measurements were completed for the whole body (WB), lumbar spine (L1-L4), total hip (TH) and femoral neck (FN). Hip geometry parameters including cross-sectional area (CSA), cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI), section modulus (Z), strength index (SI) and buckling ratio (BR) were derived by DXA.

RESULTS

Age, weight and BMI were not significantly different between the two groups. Height, lean mass, skeletal muscle mass index, ALM and the ratio ALM/BMI were significantly higher in obese women with normal ALM/BMI ratio compared to obese sarcopenic women. Fat mass percentage was significantly higher in obese sarcopenic women compared to obese women with normal ALM/BMI ratio. WB BMC, TH BMD, FN BMD, CSA, CSMI and Z were significantly higher in obese women with normal ALM/BMI ratio compared to obese sarcopenic women. In the whole population (n = 53), ALM and the ratio ALM/BMI were positively correlated to WB BMC, CSA, CSMI and Z.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that sarcopenia negatively influences bone mineral density and hip geometry parameters before menopause in eumenorrheic obese women.