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Bone biopsy is the gold standard for characterization of renal osteodystrophy (ROD). However, the classification of the subtypes of ROD based on histomorphometric parameters is not unambiguous and the range of normal values for turnover differ in different publications. 18F-Sodium Fluoride positron emission tomography (18F-NaF PET) is a dynamic imaging technique that measures turnover. 18F-NaF PET has previously been shown to correlate with histomorphometric parameters. In this cross-sectional study, 26 patients on dialysis underwent a 18F-NaF PET and a bone biopsy. Bone turnover-based classification was assessed using Malluche’s historical reference values for normal bone turnover. In unified turnover-mineralization-volume (TMV)-based classification, the whole histopathological picture was evaluated and the range for normal turnover was set accordingly. Fluoride activity was measured in the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and at the anterior iliac crest. On the basis of turnover-based classification of ROD, 12% had high turnover and 61% had low turnover bone disease. On the basis of unified TMV-based classification of ROD, 42% had high turnover/hyperparathyroid bone disease and 23% had low turnover/adynamic bone disease. When using unified TMV-based classification of ROD, 18F-NaF PET had an AUC of 0.86 to discriminate hyperparathyroid bone disease from other types of ROD and an AUC of 0.87, for discriminating adynamic bone disease. There was a disproportion between turnover-based classification and unified TMV-based classification. More research is needed to establish normal range of bone turnover in patients with CKD and to establish the role of PET imaging in ROD.

The coexistence of osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an evolving health care challenge in the face of increasingly aging populations. Globally, accelerating fracture incidence causes disability, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality. Consequently, several novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools have been introduced for treatment and prevention of fragility fractures. Despite an especially high fracture risk in CKD, these patients are commonly excluded from interventional trials and clinical guidelines. While management of fracture risk in CKD has been discussed in recent opinion-based reviews and consensus papers in the nephrology literature, many patients with CKD stages 3–5D and osteoporosis are still underdiagnosed and untreated. The current review addresses this potential treatment nihilism by discussing established and novel approaches to diagnosis and prevention of fracture risk in patients with CKD stages 3–5D. Skeletal disorders are common in CKD. A wide variety of underlying pathophysiological processes have been identified, including premature aging, chronic wasting, and disturbances in vitamin D and mineral metabolism, which may impact bone fragility beyond established osteoporosis. We discuss current and emerging concepts of CKD—mineral and bone disorders (CKD-MBD) and integrate management of osteoporosis in CKD with current recommendations for management of CKD-MBD. While many diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to osteoporosis can be applied to patients with CKD, some limitations and caveats need to be considered. Consequently, clinical trials are needed that specifically study fracture prevention strategies in patients with CKD stages 3–5D.

Background Development of vascular calcification is accelerated in patients with end-stage renal disease. In addition to traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) abnormal bone and mineral metabolism together with many other factors contribute to the excess cardiovascular burden in patients on dialysis. Aortic calcification score and coronary calcification score are predictive of CVD and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible relationship between arterial calcification and bone metabolism. Methods Thirty two patients on dialysis were included. All patients underwent a bone biopsy to assess bone histomorphometry and a 18F-NaF PET scan. Fluoride activity was measured in the lumbar spine (L1 – L4) and at the anterior iliac crest. Arterial calcification scores were assessed by computerized tomography for quantification of coronary artery calcification score and lateral lumbar radiography for aortic calcification score. Results This study group showed high prevalence of arterial calcification and 59% had verified CVD. Both CAC and AAC were significantly higher in patients with verified CVD. Only 22% had low turnover bone disease. There was a weak association between fluoride activity, which reflects bone turnover, measured in the lumbar spine, and CAC and between PTH and CAC. There was also a weak association between erosion surfaces and AAC. No significant association was found between calcification score and any other parameter measured. Conclusions The results in this study highlight the complexity, when evaluating the link between bone remodeling and vascular calcification in patients with multiple comorbidities and extensive atherosclerosis. Several studies suggest an impact of bone turnover on development of arterial calcification and there is some evidence of reduced progression of vascular calcification with improvement in bone status. The present study indicates an association between vascular calcification and bone turnover, even though many parameters of bone turnover failed to show significance. In the presence of multiple other factors contributing to the development of calcification, the impact of bone remodeling might be diminished. Trial registration The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov protocol registration and result system, ID is NCT02967042. Date of registration is 17/11/2016.

Background and Aims The diagnosis and the differentiation of renal osteodystrophy (ROD) are challenging. Bone biopsy is the golden standard, but it is invasive and not available in every center. Bone turnover rate is defined by bone formation rate and/or activation frequency. Adynamic bone disease is defined as low turnover bone with reduced osteoblast- and osteoclast activities. Hyperparahyreoid bone disease or osteitis fibrosa is defined as high turnover bone with osteoclast- and osteoblast activities and fibrosis. 18F- Sodium Fluoride positron emission tomography (18F-NaF PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique that allows assessment of regional bone turnover. The aim was to assess how well bone turnover –based classification of ROD correlates with the classification determined by an expert histomorphometrist (HK), and how these correlate with 18F-NaF PET analysis Method A total of 24 dialysis patients underwent a 18F-NaF PET scan. Fluoride activity was measured at the anterior iliac crest and in the lumbar region. An iliac crest bone biopsy was obtained within 4 weeks from the PET-scan. The diagnosis of bone histomorphometry was determined based on turnover-mineralization-volume (TMV) classification. Firstly, bone turnover was assessed using bone formation rate and activation frequency. Secondly, also other histomorphometric parameters (eg. osteoid volume, osteoid surface, resorption surface, mineralized surface, osteoblast and osteoclast surfaces and peritrabecular fibrosis) were also taking into account for classification of ROD by a histomorphometrist. Results Based on bone turnover parameters only, 12% of the patients had high turnover and 64% low turnover. When the diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy was made by a histomorphometrist, 40% had hyperparathyreoid bone/osteitis fibrosa and 24% adynamic bone disease or ostemalasia. 18F-NaF PET´s sensitivity to recognize hyperparathyreoid bone disease was 80% end specificity 100% (cut-of value 0.055).18F-NaF PET´s sensitivity to recognize adynamic bone disease was 100% and specificity 61% (cut-of value of fluoride-activity 0.038) Conclusion 18F-NaF PET works well as a diagnostic tool, when the diagnosis of ROD is based on the histopathological evaluation. It remains unknown how variations in normal bone turnover rate can be detected in CKD patients by 18F-NaF PET and if treatment decisions of ROD can be made only based on bone turnover.

The diagnosis and differentiation of the subtypes of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) are challenging. The golden standard of diagnosis is bone biopsy, but it is invasive and not available in every center. 18 Fluorine isotope is a PET-tracer, which incorporates into the bone at sites of high metabolic activity, triggered by osteoblast and osteoclast activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate if 18 F-PET imaging correlates with the metabolic activity of bone in dialysis patients, as assessed by the histomorphometry of bone biopsy. METHODS: 21 dialysis patients underwent a dynamic 18 F-positron-emission-tomography (PET)-scan (L1-L4) and a bone biopsy. The bone biopsy was taken from the iliac spine vertically after double labelling with tetracycline within one month after the PETscan. The PET-scan was analyzed using graphical Patlak model and K i was measured. K i is the bone plasma clearance of 18 Fluor, which reflects 18 Fluor activity in the bone. As histomorphometrics parameters to detect metabolic activity in bone we used BFR (bone formation rate) ¼ mineral apposition rate (MAR) x mineralizing surface/bone surface (MS/BS), Oc.S/BS (osteoclast surface/bone surface), ES/BS (erosion surface/ bone surface) and Ob.S/BS (osteoblast surface/bone surface) RESULTS: As shown in Figure1 there was a statistically significant correlation between 18 Fluor-activity and BFR (p¼0.001, r s ¼ 0.66), Oc.S/BS (p¼0.003, r s ¼ 0.61) and ES/BS (p¼0.001, r s ¼ 0.66). There was a less significant correlation between 18 Fluor-activity and Ob.S/BS (p¼0.03, r s ¼ 0.47). As expected, there was no correlation between 18 Fluor acitivity and bone volume (p¼0.44) and trabecular thickness (p¼0.92). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that bone metabolism can readily be measured using 18 F-PET-imaging and that 18 F-PET-scan correlates with bone histomorphometry in dialysis patients with renal osteodystrophy. 18 F-PET-imaging looks promising as a diagnostic tool to evaluate dialysis patients with CKD-MBD. Studies are in progress to evaluate the feasibility of 18 F-PET-imaging in ND-CKD 5 and kidney transplantation patients.