Evaluation of bone turnover in postmenopause, vertebral fracture, and hip fracture using biochemical markers for bone formation and resorption

The purpose of this study is to evaluate bone turnover in postmenopausal status and established osteoporosis with vertebral fracture and hip fracture by assessing bone biochemical markers. Subjects were 50 healthy premenopausal subjects, 44 healthy postmenopausal subjects, 30 osteoporotic patients with vertebral fracture, and 31 osteoporotic patients with hip fracture. Alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, PICP, ICTP, NTx, free deoxypyridinoline, total pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline were measured. In postmenopause, both Z-scores of bone formation markers and resorption markers were around 1–2. In osteoporosis, although Z-scores of bone formation markers were 0.4–2.8, resorption markers were 2.3–9.5. Moreover, Z-scores of resorption markers were higher in hip fracture than in vertebral fracture. These results indicate that bone formation and resorption increased and balanced in postmenopausal status. However, bone resorption increased more than bone formation and did not balance at all in osteoporosis. This imbalance is greater in hip fractures than in vertebral fractures.