Abstract

The aim of this prospective, comparative study was to investigate the bone mineral density (BMD) changes in a group of early postmenopausal Turkish women with endemic skeletal fluorosis and to study effects of endemic fluorosis on BMD. Bone mineral density of L2-L4 vertebra, femur neck, femur trochanter, and Ward’s triangle were measured in 45 female patients with endemic skeletal fluorosis and 41 age-matched controls by dual X-ray absorbtiometry (DXA). The BMD of L2-L4 vertebra and Ward’s triangle were higher in the endemic fluorosis group than in the control group (P < 0.001). Patients with endemic fluorosishad higher femur neck and femur trochanter BMDs than did controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). There was a positive correlation between serum fluoride content and BMD at the spine (r = 0.345, P = 0.001), femoral neck (r = 0.274, P = 0.011), Ward’s triangle (r = 0.295, P = 0.006), and trochanter (r = 0.217, P = 0.045). In conclusion, higher bone mineral density levels were seen in early postmenopausal women with endemic skeletal fluorosis. BMD measurement is a tool in the diagnosis and management of this preventable crippling disease.

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