Abstract

A population of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) inhabiting heathland and farmland surrounding an aluminum smelter at Portland, Victoria, Australia, exhibited clinical signs of lameness. An investigation was undertaken to determine the cause of this lameness. Hematology, necropsy, histopathology, fecal egg count, total worm count, reproductive status, and the population age range were examined and failed to reveal any additional underlying disease state. The specific problem of lameness was addressed with bone histopathology, radiography, quantitative ultrasonography, microradiography, and multielement analysis of bone ash samples. The significant lesions observed were: osteophytosis of the distal tibia and fibula, tarsal bones, metatarsus IV, and proximal coccygeal vertebrae; osteopenia of the femur, tibia, and metatarsus IV; incisor enamel hypoplasia; stained, uneven, and abnormal teeth wear; abnormal bone matrix mineralization and mottling; increased bone density; and elevated bone fluoride levels. Microradiography of affected kangaroos exhibited “black osteons,” which are a known manifestation of fluorosis. Collectively, these lesions were consistent with a diagnosis of fluorosis.

• Related Studies :

  • When less is more: a comparison of models to predict fluoride accumulation in free-ranging kangaroos.

    Highlights Exposure models can predict toxic effects of fluoride consumption in wildlife. Exposure models that vary in intensity of field data collection warrant comparison. Simple spatial metrics can predict fluoride accumulation in a free-ranging mammal. Complex exposure models may not perform better than simple spatial metrics. Vegetation contaminated by industrial fluoride

  • Association between fluoride, magnesium, aluminum and bone quality in renal osteodystrophy

    INTRODUCTION: Trace elements are known to influence bone metabolism; however, their effects may be exacerbated in renal failure because dialysis patients are unable to excrete excess elements properly. Our study correlated bone quality in dialysis patients with levels of bone fluoride, magnesium, and aluminum. A number of studies have linked

  • Industrial Fluorosis [Carnow et al.]

    SUMMARY: In 1242 apparently healthy and actively employed workers of a Canadian aluminum facility, the history of musculoskeletal symptoms, of the incidence of fractures, of neck and back surgery, as well as the x-ray findings were reviewed. A highly significant relationship of exposure to fluoride was established with the frequency

  • Effects of supplementation with conjugated dienes of linoleic acid on fluoride, calcium, and magnesium levels in hard tissues and serum of mice.

    With the recognition of their ability to promote weight loss, conjugated dienes of linoleic acid (CLA) have become the main ingredient of certain dietary supplements to counteract obesity. The results of prospective studies, however, indicate there may be long-term side effects that could be of key importance for the safety

  • Fluorine and Fluorosis [June 1944].

    Excerpt The first account of mottled enamel in human beings was given in 1902 by Eager of the United States Public Health Service who noticed its frequency among Italian emigrants from Naples. Black and McKay (1916) found it occurring in various parts of the U.S.A. and described it more fully in

• Related FAN Content :

  • 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.

  • 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.