Preanalysis of Biochemical Bone Turnover Parameters

Preanalytics includes all technical and organizational processes involved in collecting and storing samples such as blood or urine and transporting them properly to a laboratory, which is suitable for the desired examination. Their importance is particularly emphasized by the fact that quite a few incorrect laboratory values can frequently be traced back to errors in the preanalytical processes and not to errors in the laboratory. Bone turnover parameters, which are used to assess the dynamics of bone metabolism and to monitor metabolic bone diseases, depend, like many other parameters, not only on patient-dependent factors, but are also influenced by different factors such like administration of medication, variation from day-to-day, seasonal/ interindividual/ intraindividual variability and a circadian rhythm. So the reliability and comparability of laboratory values can be significantly influenced by adhering to standardized preanalytic procedures.