Affiliations: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Collegium
Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland | Department of Laboratory Medicine, Collegium Medicum,
Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Note: [] Correspondence: Agnieszka Pater, Department of Laboratory
Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University,
Skłodowskiej-Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland. Tel.: +4 852 585 40 46; Fax:
+4 852 585 36 03; E-mail: agnieszka.chrapkowska@wp.pl
Abstract: Bone is a dynamic tissue that consistently undergoes remodeling.
During formation and resorption processes, bone turnover markers are released.
They are specific bone-derived molecules that circulate in the blood or are
present in the urine reflecting the bone metabolic activity (during childhood
and adolescence: bone growth in length, modeling and remodeling). The use of
biochemical bone turnover markers provides dynamic indices of bone turnover and
complements the static measures of bone, such as measurement of bone mineral
density using DEXA or measurement of bone geometry, mass and density using
quantitative computed tomography. The assay of bone markers may be repeated at
much shorter intervals than remaining measurements so may help in detecting
influence of disease or effects of therapy much earlier than changes in bone
mass or progression in bone disease can be ascertained. The usefulness of
determination of bone turnover markers in children and adolescents requires
that the influence of age, sex and pubertal stage be taken into consideration
to interpret the results correctly. Bone turnover markers are used in children
and adolescents to assess bone metabolic disorders, monitoring disease
progression and antiresorptive therapy.
Keywords: Bone turnover markers, bone formation markers, bone resorption markers, osteoclastogenesis markers
