Physiology of Bone😊

Physiology of Bone

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  • No man’s land in flexor tendon → Zone 2
  • Infertility workupWHO grade 2 is most common
  • BE FAN VEIN
  • Patellar clunk syndrome

HLA associations

HLAs
Diseases
DQ1
• Pemphigus Vulgaris
DQ7
• BP variant
DQ2 / DQ8
• Celiac disease
Seal with DQ ()
DR2
• Good Pasteur’s (GBS)
• Narcolepsy (DQB1:06:02)
• Multiple sclerosis
(B16, DR2)
2nd - Good doctor () - have MS () - always sleeps ()
DR3
Chronic active hepatitis
Dermatitis herpetiformis
SLE
Sjogren’s
T 1 DM
DR4
Rheumatoid arthritis
Pemphigus vulgaris (DQ1, DR4)
DR5
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (DR3, DR5)
B27
Ankylosing spondylitis
Reactive arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis
B35
De Quervain's thyroiditis
B47
• CAH
B51
Behcet’s disease
B57
Abacavir hypersensitivity (B*57:01)

Bone Markers

  • Formation Markers (indicating osteoblast activity):
    • Procollagen I
    • Osteocalcin
    • Osteonectin
    • Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
    • Mnemonic: Single word with two O’s + ALP → Formation marker
  • Breakdown Markers (indicating osteoclast activity):
    • Hydroxyproline
    • Hydroxylysine
    • N & C telopeptide
    • Deoxypridinoline
    • Tartrate Resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP)

Calcium Homeostasis

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  • Calcium homeostasis regulated by
    • PTH
    • Vitamin D
    • bone remodelling
  • ↓Ca²⁺ → ↑PTH
  • Effects of PTH:
    • Kidneys:
      • Increases calcium reabsorption.
      • Increases phosphate excretion (↓ PO₄³⁻).
      • Converts 25-hydroxy vitamin D (stored) to 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D (active form).
    • Bone:
      • PTH binds to receptors on osteoblasts.
      • Osteoblasts release RANK ligand.
      • RANK ligand promotes bone resorption by osteoclasts.
      • Bone resorption by osteoclasts increases calcium and phosphate release.
      • Denosumab 
        • RANK ligand → ↓ bone resorption.
  • Active Vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D) effects:
    • ↑ absorption of calcium and phosphate in the gut.
  • Result of PTH and active Vitamin D activity:
    • ↑↑ Calcium levels
    • ↑ ALP
      • due to new bone synthesis.
  • Negative Feedback:
    • Normal calcium levels → ⛔ PTH

Metabolic Bone Disorders Classification

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Minerals

  • Parathyroid Hormone:
    • Primary Hyperparathyroidism
  • Vitamin D Deficiency:
    • Rickets (in children)
    • Osteomalacia (in adults)

Bone Matrix (Collagen)

  • Procollagen:
    • Osteogenesis Imperfecta
      • Genetically abnormal collagen.
  • Vitamin C Deficiency:
    • Scurvy
      • Affects collagen formation.

Cells

  • Osteoblasts
  • Osteoclasts:
    • Increased Function: 
      • Paget's Disease.
    • Decreased Function: 
      • Osteopetrosis.

Low Bone Mass

  • Osteoporosis: 
    • Characterized by normal lab parameters
      • (initially).

Rickets

Osteomalacia

  • Osteomalacia is a metabolic bone disease in adults,
  • characterized by impaired mineralization of new bone (osteoid).

Features

  • Gender: Female > Males.
  • Age: Young age group.

Symptoms

  • Polyarthralgia
    • joint pain
  • Bone pains.
  • Proximal myopathy
    • muscle weakness
    • especially in the hips and shoulders

Osteomalacia Xray

  • Mnemonic: when Looser (Loosers zone) is in malasia () → stress () relieved → parts protrude (protrusio acetabuli) → like a cod fish mouth (cod fish) → Pelvis become radiated (Triradiate pelvis)
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  • Pseudofractures with surrounding sclerosis.:
    • Also known as Milkman's Line or Looser Zone.
    • Most common sites:
      • Neck of femur >
      • clavicle
      • ribs
      • pubic rami
  • Stress fractures
    • that have healed with mineral-deficient material.
  • Triradiate pelvis
  • Codfish or fish mouth vertebrae
    • Biconcave vertebral bodies (after >30% bone loss).
      • also in osteoporosis
  • Protrusio Acetabuli: 
    • Head of femur protrudes into the acetabulum.
    • notion image

Tumor-induced Osteomalacia (Causes):

  • Osteoblastoma.
  • Osteosarcoma.
  • Non-ossifying fibroma.
    • Tumours is Metaphysis
  • Fibrosarcoma.

Treatment (Vitamin D)

  • Stoss Regimen
    • 3 lakh - 6 lakh IU deep IM/oral
      • (single dose or over 1-5 days).
  • Daily
    • 2K - 5K IU for 4-6 weeks.
  • Weekly
    • 50K - 60K IU for 8-12 weeks.

Scurvy

Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Most Common Cause (mcc)

  • Adenoma of the parathyroid gland.

Pathophysiology

  • ↑PTH → ↑Ca²
    • despite negative feedback.

Lab Findings

  • ↑↑ PTH
  • ↑ Ca²⁺
  • ↓ PO₄³⁻
  • ↑ ALP

Clinical Features (Due to Excess Bone Breakdown)

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  • Increased PTH causes increased bone resorption.
  • Teeth: 
    • Resorption of lamina dura.
  • Phalanges: 
    • Subperiosteal resorption on the radial side.
  • Bone (Brown Tumor):
    • Breakdown of bone leads to cavities.
    • Cavities filled with blood.
    • Hemoglobin breaks down to hemosiderin, forming "brown tumors" (fibro-osseous lesions, not true tumors).
  • Due to Increased Serum Calcium (↑S.Ca²⁺) -
    • "Bones, Stones, Groans, Psychic Moans and Fatigue":
      • Bones: (due to bone resorption).
        • Bone pain, fractures
      • Stones: (due to hypercalciuria).
        • Kidney stones
      • Groans: 
        • Abdominal pain,
        • nausea,
        • constipation,
        • peptic ulcer.
      • Psychiatric Overtones (Moans): 
        • Depression,
        • confusion,
        • cognitive impairment.
      • Fatigue.

X-ray Findings

  • Salt and pepper skull: 
    • Granular appearance of the skull
      • d/t diffuse demineralization.
  • Subperiosteal resorption in phalanges
    • radial side
  • Brown tumor lesions.

Renal Osteodystrophy

  • CKD

Lab Values

  • Calcium (Ca²⁺): Significantly decreased (↓↓Ca²⁺).
  • Phosphate (PO₄³⁻): Significantly increased (↑↑↑PO₄³⁻).
  • Parathyroid Hormone (PTH): Significantly increased (↑↑↑PTH).
  • Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP): Increased (↑ALP).

X-ray Spine

Rugger Jersey Spine

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  • Alternating sclerotic and lucent bands,
  • [Resemble stripes on a rugby jersey]
  • Seen in
    • Osteopetrosis
    • Renal osteodystrophy - Secondary hyperparathyroidism
  • Mnemonic:
    • Mnemonic: Rugger jersey → look like rods → ROD → Renal osteodystrophy
    • Rugby Jersey ittond marble (Osteopetrosis/marble bone ds) panikk poi → Got CKD ()

Osteoporosis

  • Quantitative defect
    • "porous bone disease"
    • normal lab values (initially).

Pathogenesis

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  • imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity
    • bone formation < resorption
    • ↓↓ strength of bone

Etiology

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Primary Osteoporosis:

  • Type I (Post-menopausal): 
    • Most common risk factor,
    • due to estrogen deficiency.
      • Estrogen is protective against osteoporosis.
  • Type II (Senile/Age-related): 
    • Most common cause overall,
    • due to age-related bone loss.

Secondary Osteoporosis:

  • Drugs:
    • Steroids
    • Heparin.
  • Hormones: 
    • Cushing's Syndrome
  • Immobilization.
  • Weightlessness/Space travel.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis.

NOTE

  • Bony ankylosisTB Spine
  • Fibrous ankylosisTB knee/hip

Triangles

  • Babcock TriangleTB hip
  • Fairbank triangleCongenital coxa vara (Trendelenberg gait/Waddling gait)
  • Ward triangleOsteoporosis

Phemister’s triad:TB HIP

  • Periarticular osteopenia
  • Erosions
  • Reduced joint space

Clinical Features

  • Back pain: 
    • Earliest symptom.
    • Pain before fracture,
  • Fragility Fracture: 
    • Most common complication.
    • Sites: 
        1. Spine (vertebral fractures) >
        1. neck of femur (hip fractures) >
        1. Colles' fracture (distal radius) >
  • Most common vertebral fracture sites:
    • Lower thoracic and upper lumbar.

Deformity: 

Condition
Definition
Region / Site
Key Features
Lordosis
Inward curvature (concave)
Lumbar
Normal lumbar curve.
• Helps
balance, alignment, weight distribution.
Scoliosis
Abnormal sideways bending
Thoracic, thoracolumbar
Structural deformity.
"Dowager's hump"
Dowager → Age avumbo → Down avum
Kyphosis
Excess
forward bending
Thoracic
Rounded / hunched back.
• Normal thoracic kyphosis exists.
Recurvatum
Hyperextension
Common in knee
• Indicates joint hyperextension..
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Recurvatum
Recurvatum
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Recurvatum

Screening (IOC):

Osteoporosis

  • Dexa ScanBone Mineral Density Scan
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  • Used to measure bone mineral density.
  • Important for diagnosing osteoporosis.
    • Biochemical tests are normal in osteoporosis.

T-score: 

  • Compares bone mineral density
    • to a young male/female (30 y.o.)
    • with highest bone density.
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  • Quantitative CT (QCT)
    • Not usually done, but can be done
    • can also diagnose osteoporosis.
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X-ray findings:

  • Vertebral fracture.
  • Neck of femur fracture.
  • Colles' fracture.
  • Codfish Vertebrae: 
    • Biconcave vertebral bodies (after >30% bone loss).
    • Also seen in Osteomalacia
  • Fishmouth vertebra in osteoporosis:
    • Decreased vertebral height.
    • Vertebral collapse with concave end plate.

FRAX score

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Screening in Osteoporosis:

  • Women ≥ 65 years.
  • Men ≥ 70 years.
  • Fracture with trivial trauma > 50 years.

Treatment

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Treatment Category
Decrease Bone Resorption
Increase Bone Formation
Does Both
Medications
Bisphosphonates (DOC),
Denosumab,
SERM (Raloxifene)
Teriparatide
(rPTH - small doses,
↑ risk of
osteosarcoma),

Abaloparatide (PTHrp),

Strontium Ranelate

Romosozumab
Other Therapies
HRT
for post-menopausal women
  • Romo → Remo () → Osteoporosis () vannu → fish (codfish) ayi

Bisphosphonates (Drug of Choice):

Drugs in Osteoporosis

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  • PTH stimulate OsteoclastCause osteoporosis
  • Calcitonin inhibit OsteoclastPrevent osteoporosis
  • Drugs ending with “tide” → always IV
  • Mnemonic:
    • den OS mab , Rem OS mab
      • → Antibody against osteoporosis
  • Drugs used in osteoporosis
      1. Nutritional factors:
          • Calcium (1200 mg/day, includes dietary).
          • Vitamin D (800 IU per day).
      1. Drugs inhibiting osteoclast:
          • Calcitonin
          • Estrogens
          • SERMs
          • Denosumab
          • Cinacalcet
            • CasR agonist
            • Used in HyperPTH
      1. Drugs stimulating osteoblast:
          • PTH1-34 → Teriparatide, Abaloparatide → Max: 2yrs (↑↑ R/o Osteosarcoma)
      1. Drugs with Dual action:
          • Strontium
          • Romosozumab Sclerostin ⛔ → Made in India
          • Also Sodium fluoride
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Drugs Inhibiting Osteoclast

  1. Calcitonin
      • Given Intranasally.
      • S/E: Liver toxicity, Ca Breast
  1. Bisphosphonates:
      • Alendronate (oral)
      • Risedronate (oral)
        • Alan () rise () and eat
      • Pamidronate (IV)
      • Zoledronate (once yearly IV → Longest acting → S/E: Renal failure)
        • Inhibit osteoclasts.
        • DOC for
          • Osteoporosis (any reason).
          • Osteogenesis Imperfecta
          • Pagets
        • Indicated for a maximum of 10 years.
          • 5 years → do bone scan → another 5 years
      • IV agents can be also used for Hypercalcemia of malignancy
      • S/E
          • Osteonecrosis of mandible
            • Phossy jaw
            • Actinomyces → Discharging sinuses
            • Radiotherapy
            • Bisphosphonates
        • Highly toxic to esophagus.
          • Prevention of Esophagitis:
            • Take empty stomach.
            • Take with full glass of water.
            • Remain upright for 30 min.
        • Prolonged use (5-7 years)
          • ↓↓ osteoclastic activity (below osteoblastic activity)
          • Atypical Fractures around the hip
            • notion image
          • NEXT step: Do Xray, NOT DEXA
        • Drug Holiday: 
          • to avoid Atypical fractures
          • Temporarily stop using bisphosphonates (1-2 years)
          • switch to other drugs (e.g., Teriparatide)
  1. Estrogen and SERM
      • Decreased estrogen causes post-menopausal osteoporosis.
      • Actions of Estrogen:
        • Bone → Prevent resorption.
        • Blood → Increased HDL/LDL Ratio.
        • Breast → Increased Risk of Carcinoma.
        • Endometrium → Increased Risk of Carcinoma.
        • Liver → Increased Clotting Factors → Thromboembolism.
        • Not preferred for treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis.
      • Raloxifene:
        • Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM).
        • Agonist action on ER in bone, blood, liver;
        • antagonistic action on breast, endometrium.
        • Used in post-menopausal osteoporosis.
        • Reduces only vertebral # risk
          • (Bisphosphonates reduce both vertebral and non vertebral)
        • Additional Benefits:
          • Increased HDL.
          • Decreased Breast and Endometrial carcinoma risk.
        • Major S/E:
          • Thromboembolism.
      • Tamoxifene → ↑ endometrial cancer risk
  1. Denosumab:
    1. notion image
      • Monoclonal antibody → RANK ligand.
      • ⛔ osteoclastic activity and bone resorption.
      • Mnemonic: Rank (RANK L) nu anserich Dinosaur (Denosumab) nte adth vidum → Clash cheyyan (Clast)

Drugs Stimulating Osteoblasts

Teriparatide:

  • Fraction of parathyroid hormone (PTH 1-34)
    • Intermittent low-dose PTH (Teriparatide)stimulates osteoblast activity more than osteoclastsbone formation.
  • Used for osteoporosis treatment.
  • Only anabolic agent for new bone formation
  • Black box warning
    • Use < 2 yrs
    • ↑ risk of osteosarcoma
    • Avoid in patients with increased risk of osteosarcoma
      • Paget's disease
      • Unexplained elevated ALP
      • Open Epiphysis
      • Prior radiation to skeleton
  • Candidates
    • Women with osteoporotic #
    • Men with Primary or hypogonadal Osteoporosis
    • Intolerant to other therapy
  • Not effective orally
    • OD subcutaneously
  • Recommended for maximum 2 years.
  • Treatment should be preceded or followed by bisphosphonates.

NOTE: PTH Action on Bone Cells

  • PTH does NOT act directly on osteoclasts.
  • Osteoclasts lack PTH receptors.
  • PTH acts on osteoblasts → they release RANKL & M-CSF.
  • These stimulate osteoclast differentiation and activation → ↑ bone resorption.

Drugs with Dual Action

  • Stimulate osteoblast and inhibit osteoclast.
  • Strontium ranelate and romosozumab.
  • Romosozumab is a monoclonal antibody against sclerostin.
  • Mnemonic: Romans (Romosumab) had Strong (Strontium) Bones

Paget's Disease / Osteitis Deformans

SKULL XRAY PATTERN APPROACH

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  • Mnemonic:
    • Page pole madangum (Bending bones)
    • Banana (Banana #) blade (Blade of grass) vach cut cheyth
    • Banana Squeeze cheyth (SQS TM1 gene)
    • cottonilil (cotton wool skull) pothinju frame (Picture frame vertebrae) cheyth vach
    • Ivory (Ivory vertebrae) jam (Tam o shanter skull) nte kude thinnan
  • Chronic bone disorder
    • abnormal bone remodeling → enlarged and deformed bones.

Demographics

  • Male > Female.
  • Incidence peaks in the 5th decade.
  • Commonly affects the Pelvis > Tibia.

Etiology

  • Idiopathic (most common).
  • SQSTM1 gene mutation.
  • Paramyxovirus infection (controversial).

Lab Findings

  • Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP): Markedly increased (↑ALP, 10x to 100x normal).
  • Serum Calcium (S.Ca²⁺): Normal.
  • Serum Phosphate (S.PO₄³⁻): Normal.

Pathophysiology Phases

Three phases:

  1. Osteolytic Phase (Initial): 
    1. ↑↑ osteoclastic activity,
    2. rapid bone resorption.
  1. Mixed Phase: 
    1. ↑↑ osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity,
    2. with disorganized new bone formation.
  1. Blastic Phase (Late): 
    1. Predominant osteoblastic activity,
    2. dense, disorganized bone.

Clinical Features

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  1. Bone Pain
    1. Most common symptom.
  1. Bone
    1. warm
    2. thickened/irregular.
  1. Banana Fractures 
    1. long, oblique fractures
    2. common in long bones
      1. notion image
  1. Cranial foramen stenosis:
    1. Compression of cranial nerves (CN 2, 3, 5, 7, 8)
        • hearing disturbances.
  1. Otosclerosis:
    1. Hardening of the bones in the ear,
    2. causing hearing loss.
  1. Thickening of the skull:
    1. Frequent changes in hat size
        • a classic symptom
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  • Can have lytic, blastic, or mixed phase.

Radiological Features

1. Lytic Phase:
Description / Association
Osteoporosis circumscripta
Well-defined Circumscribed lytic lesion
Blade of grass / Candle flame sign
Lytic lesion in femur shaft
"V" or flame-shaped leading edge
2. Mixed Phase:
Picture frame vertebrae
Sclerosis (thickening) at the edges of the vertebral body.
hallmark of Paget’s disease
Ivory Vertebrae
Uniformly dense, sclerotic vertebral body
(can also be seen in osteoblastic metastases, lymphoma).
Cotton wool appearance (skull)
Patchy areas of sclerosis and lucency
3. Blastic Phase:
Thickening of Skull: 
Uniform thickening → Tam o' Shanter skull appearance
(
wider base due to cranial enlargement).

Ivory vertebrae.

  • Seen in
    • Pagets disaese
    • Hodgkins Lymphoma
    • Blastic mets
      • Breast Ca
      • Prostate Ca
    • HOD Page il Ivory kuthi vach

Treatment

  • Zoledronate
    • Long-acting bisphosphonate
      • suppresses osteoclastic activity.

Complications

  • High output cardiac failure
    • due to increased vascularity of bone lesions,
    • leading to death
  • Transformation to osteosarcoma
    • due to ↑↑ bone turnover,
    • affecting approximately 1% of patients

Osteogenesis Imperfecta

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Q. A 15-month-old baby presented with multiple bony deformities and deafness. On enquiring, there was a recurrent history of limb fractures following trivial trauma in the child. On close examination, the child has a blue sclera. What is the probable diagnosis?

Important Information

  • The most common mode of inheritance in osteogenesis imperfecta:
    • AD.
  • genetically abnormal collagen (Type I collagen defect).
    • Leads to weak bones and recurrent pathological fractures.
  • Type 2 is most severe
  • Defects in COL1A1 or COL1A2
    (
    type I collagen).

Clinical Features

  • Mnemonic: BITE
    • Bones = fractures
    • I = blue sclerae
    • Teeth = imperfections
    • Ear = hearing loss
  • Triad:
      1. Blue sclera.
        1. notion image
          • thin sclera → Choroid visible
      1. Limb deformities due to recurrent fractures.
      1. Deafness.
  • Easy bruising.
  • Multiple fractures in different stages of healing.
    • On antenatal scans.
    • Deformities
  • Delayed dentition.
  • Dental imperfections
    • (dentinogenesis imperfecta opalescent teeth that wear easily due to lack of dentin)
  • Hearing loss (abnormal ossicles)

Labs

  • Normal lab values.

Treatment

  • Treat with bisphosphonates to ↓ fracture risk.
    • Pamidronate.
  • Mnemonic: Pavam koch → Pamidronate

NOTE:


  • Vander Hoeve Syndrome:
    • Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
    • Blue sclera.
    • Otosclerosis.
    • Pregnant() female on shorts (Schwartz sign) vandering (Vander) in Car (Carharts), Oto (Otosclerosis) van Van (Vander)- para (Paracusis willisii)vach - bcz avalde bone(Excessive bone deposition) poyi
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Osteopetrosis / Marble Bone Disease

Marble Bone Disease / Albers-Schonberg disease

Q. An 11-month-old girl presented with pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. An x-ray of her limbs showed the following picture. What is the diagnosis?

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Pathophysiology

  • Defect in gene for carbonic anhydrase 2
    • Required by osteoclasts for acidification for bone resorption
    • Decreased osteoclast function (↓ Resorption).
    • Leads to increased bone formation (↑ Bone formation).
    • Erlenmeyer flask deformity
  • Resulting in the medullary cavity being obliterated by new bone,
    • ↓↓ space for bone marrow.

Clinical Features

  • Excessive thickened bone.
  • Aplastic Anemia
    • Due to marrow obliteration,
      • → anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leucopenia.
  • Multiple infections (due to leukopenia).
  • Foramina are small
    • Cranial nerve palsies

X-ray

  • Bone within a bone appearance/ "Marble Bone Disease"
    • Increased density of the bone.
    • Mnemonic: Osteo Pettu → Bone vere bone nte ullil pettu
      • notion image
  • Rugger Jersey Spine 
    • notion image
    • (also seen in Renal Osteodystrophy).
  • Dense, sclerotic bones.

Summary of Lab Values for Bone Disorders

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Condition
Calcium (Ca²⁺)
PTH
PO₄³⁻
ALP
Secondary Hyperparathyroidism / Rickets / Osteomalacia
Decreased/Normal (↓/Normal)
Increased (↑)
Decreased (↓)
Increased (↑)
Renal Osteodystrophy
Significantly Decreased (↓↓)
Increased (↑↑↑)
Significantly Increased (↑↑↑)
Increased (↑)
Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Significantly Increased (↑↑↑)
Increased (↑↑↑)
Decreased (↓)
Increased (↑)
Osteoporosis
Normal
Normal
Normal
Normal
Paget's Disease
Normal
Normal
Normal
Significantly Increased (↑↑↑)