| Skeletal Involvement |
| This page was written by Shelley Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. Scleroderma (SD) affects everyone differently. Just because something is listed here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience it. See Disclaimer. |
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| Bone Resorption in Scleroderma |
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| Overview |
| Bone Resorption is the absorption of the bone by large multi-nucleated cells called osteoclasts. Resorption occurs normally in very small amounts, but can claim large quantities of bone in circumstances where normal physical weight-bearing stress is absent, such as bed rest or exposure to microgravity. The loss of calcium is associated with resorption of bone. EverythingBio.com. |
| In scleroderma, bone resorption may occur wiht the bones at the tips of the fingers being reabsorbed into the body. In some cases, the tips of the fingernails become attached to the skin. See Scleroderma Photos. |
| Osteoporosis occurs when the rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation creating "porous bones." Most cases of osteoporosis occur as an acceleration of this normal aging process. The condition can also be caused by other disease processes or prolonged use of certain medications that result in bone loss. Answers.com. (Also see: Osteoporosis) |
| Bone Resorption of the Mandible (Lower Jaw). Scleroderma can loosen teeth by causing the ligament around the teeth to expand due to collagen deposition. When the ligament expands, the teeth are less supported by bone structure. Dental implants work well in these instances. ISN |
| Acroosteolysis |
| Acroosteolysis is a condition with congenital and acquired forms causing recurrent ulcers in the fingers and toes. It is characterized by bone resorption in the fingers and toes. WrongDiagnosis.com. |
| Acroosteolysis is Associated with Vascular Complications of Systemic Sclerosis. Acroosteolysis seems to be associated with vascular complications in systemic sclerosis which suggests a microvascular component in its pathogenesis. C. Rosenberg. AB0183 EULAR 2005. |
| Radiological Hand Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis. Flexion contracture (27%), calcinosis (23%), acroosteolysis (22%), arthritis (18%) were the main features of radiological hand involvement in this series of patients with SSc. Calcinosis and acroosteolysis were together associated with vascular digital and systemic complications, which emphasize the implications of vascular injury in such lesions. J. Avouac. FRI0095 EULAR 2005. (Also see: Calcinosis) |
| External Causes |
| The Effects of Medications on Bone. Corticosteroids and cancer chemotherapeutic agents generally affect bone adversely and increase fracture. J Am Acad Orthop Surg, Vol 15, No 8, August 2007, 450-460. (Also see: Medications) |
| Physiological Causes |
| Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone, and Acroosteolysis in Systemic Sclerosis. Low levels of vitamin D may reflect silent malabsorption and might be a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone resorption. Y. Braun-Moscovici. J Rheumatol. Oct 1 2008. (Also see: Vitamin D Deficiency and Calcinosis) |
| Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone And Acro-Osteolysis (AO) In Systemic Sclerosis. In this group of Mediterranean SSc patients, the incidence of vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism was surprisingly high. This finding correlated with the occurrence of AO and calcinosis. Low levels of vit D may reflect silent malabsorption and might be a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone resorption. Y. Braun-Moscovici. AB0497 EULAR 2007. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Vitamin D Difficiency and Thyroid Disease) |
| Bone Mineral Density in Female Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. The specific immunopathogenesis, the disease duration and activity, early menopause and a long-time immobilisation could be the reasons for increased bone resorption in the systemic sclerosis. Our study has confirmed statistically significant decrease of bone mineral density in scleroderma. B. N. Stamenkovic. FRI0306 EULAR 2004. |
| Treatments |
| Increased Bone Resorption and Failure to Respond to Antiresorptive Therapy in Progressive Dystrophic Calcification. Bone resorption was increased in patients with connective tissue disease and severe dystrophic calcification. Several antiresorptive agents were shown to be ineffective in limiting either bone turnover or clinical progression in one patient. PubMed. Calcif Tissue Int. 2003 Sep 10 (Also see: Calcinosis) |
