Studies on sural nerve biopsies in endemic skeletal fluorosis

Sural nerve biopsies from 13 patients with radiologically confirmed skeletal fluorosis were studied for myelinated fibre densities, frequency distribution oftheir diameters, and single teased nerve fibre preparations. It was observed that most of the biopsies showed a marked reduction in myelinated fibre densities with more than half of them in:volving

Fluorine Intoxication: A Clinical-Hygienic Study with a Review of the Literature and Some Experimental Investigations

Effects of fluorine on the human fetus.

In an endemic fluorosis area, 16 fetuses that were delivered during their sixth to eighth month of gestation by means of artificial abortion were collected and studied. The results [compared to 10 control fetuses from a non-endemic area] show that fluorine levels in tissues are obviously high, especially in brain, calvarium, and femur. The activity of alkaline

New data for the validation of the mean daily maximum permissible concentration of hydrogen fluoride in atmospheric air

1.  Round-the-clock exposure to hydrogen fluoride concentrations of 0.10 and 0.03 mg/m3 causes inhibition in the central nervous system, decreases the activity of a number of enzymes, impairs the phosphorus-calcium metabolism, and causes the accumulation of fluorine in the body and damage to the internal organs and bone tissue. 2.  A

Fluoride content of groundwater and prevalence of dental, skeletal and neurological stage of fluorosis in Tehsil Purwa of Unnao.

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Fluoride & Osteoarthritis

While the osteoarthritic effects that occurred from fluoride exposure were once considered to be limited to those with skeletal fluorosis, recent research shows that fluoride can cause osteoarthritis in the absence of traditionally defined fluorosis. Conventional methods used for detecting skeletal fluorosis, therefore, will fail to detect the full range of people suffering from fluoride-induced osteoarthritis.

"Pre-Skeletal" Fluorosis

As demonstrated by the studies below, skeletal fluorosis may produce adverse symptoms, including arthritic pains, clinical osteoarthritis, gastrointestinal disturbances, and bone fragility, before the classic bone change of fluorosis (i.e., osteosclerosis in the spine and pelvis) is detectable by x-ray. Relying on x-rays, therefore, to diagnosis skeletal fluorosis will invariably fail to protect those individuals who are suffering from the pre-skeletal phase of the disease. Moreover, some individuals with clinical skeletal fluorosis will not develop an increase in bone density, let alone osteosclerosis, of the spine. Thus, relying on unusual increases in spinal bone density will under-detect the rate of skeletal fluoride poisoning in a population.

Skeletal Fluorosis: The Misdiagnosis Problem

It is a virtual certainty that there are individuals in the general population unknowingly suffering from some form of skeletal fluorosis as a result of a doctor's failure to consider fluoride as a cause of their symptoms. Proof that this is the case can be found in the following case reports of skeletal fluorosis written by doctors in the U.S. and other western countries. As can be seen, a consistent feature of these reports is that fluorosis patients--even those with crippling skeletal fluorosis--are misdiagnosed for years by multiple teams of doctors who routinely fail to consider fluoride as a possible cause of their disease.

Similarities between Skeletal Fluorosis and Renal Osteodystrophy

It is quite possible, and indeed likely, that some kidney patients diagnosed with renal osteodystrophy are either suffering from skeletal fluorosis or their condition is being complicated/exacerbated by fluoride exposure.

Symposium on the non-skeletal phase of chronic fluorosis: The Joints

Of 300 patients with endemic skeletal fluorosis 187 (110 children and 77 adults) showed evidence of arthritis. The spine, especially its cervical portion, appeared to be mainly involved; elbow, hip and knee joints followed next in order.