New spine repair technique may offer hope for osteoporosis...( essive social isolation and despair. Si...),Health

Once vertebral bones lose mineral density, they may fracture and collapse, becoming wedge-shaped instead of rectangular. These vertebral compression fractures are the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis, outnumbering hip and wrist fractures combined. In the U.S., nearly 700,000 patients a year sustain vertebral compression fractures, and up to thirty percent of these patients may have pain and limited function.

"These fractures are often brought on by everyday activities or after a minor trauma like falling," said Berven. "Once the bone has collapsed, patients often have severe limitations, including pain and a stooped posture called Dowager's hump."

The procedure is part of the integrated care offered at UCSF Vertebral Compression Fracture Comprehensive Care Clinic. A collaborative effort between the UCSF departments of orthopedic surgery and rheumatology, the clinic offers expertise in the surgical as well as ongoing medical management of osteoporosis, including prevention.

Nancy Lane, MD, UCSF associate professor in the San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center (SFGHMC) division of rheumatology and co-director of the UCSF clinic is a nationally recognized expert in the medical management of osteoporosis. She is currently directing a clinical trial using recombinant parathyroid hormone related peptide for treatment of osteoporosis. Initial evidence suggests that this protein may be effective in actually increasing bone mineral density and in stimulating new bone formation.

'"/>

Contact: Maureen McInaney
mmcinaney@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
7-Aug-2002