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 News & PublicationsNew Frontiers in Skeletal Health: Scientists and Clinicians Convene to Discuss Bone Quality
Washington, D.C. (April 19, 2005) — Internationally renowned scientists will gather May 2-3, 2005, in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, to participate in an important conference entitled Bone Quality: What Is It and Can We Measure It? The meeting is sponsored by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and co-sponsored by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and INSERM (The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research). What is Bone Quality? Skeletal fragility is determined by various factors. The term Bone Quality encompasses the many factors that influence bone health and risk of fracture. Whereas assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) is a valuable tool used by physicians to diagnose osteoporosis, recent studies have shown that there are a substantial number of individuals who will suffer osteoporotic fractures even though their BMD is within the normal range. “These compelling clinical data stress the importance of further investigating the role of bone quality and bone strength in assessing fracture risk — themes that this conference is designed to address,” said Joan McGowan, Ph.D., Director of the Musculoskeletal Diseases Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases. Why Do We Need to Know More? Worldwide, one in three women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture during their remaining lifetimes. As highlighted in the recent Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis (www.surgeongeneral.gov), each year over 1.5 million Americans suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture, and as a result experience long-term disability and increased risk of premature death. As our population ages, it is predicted that the number and cost of osteoporotic fractures will double in the next 50 years. Therefore, reducing the number of osteoporotic fractures is a vital public health concern and identifying those at highest risk in the population is critical. This meeting will bring together basic scientists and clinicians, including representatives from government agencies (National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)) and pharmaceutical companies to address this important issue. Participants will:
Specific topics to be addressed include the effect of osteoporosis therapies on the architecture of bone, the mechanics of fracture, why bone breaks (the role of collagen, mineral and architecture), novel techniques used to assess skeletal fragility, and the best methods for conducting clinical trials in osteoporosis. For more information and a detailed meeting program, visit www.asbmr.org/bonequality.cfm. About ASBMR ASBMR is a nonprofit, medical and scientific society of nearly 4,000 members devoted to advancing bone-related research and translating that research into practice. In addition to publishing the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR), the ASBMR hosts the premier scientific meeting in the field. The 27th ASBMR Annual Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, September 23-27, 2005. ASBMR also publishes the most widely used text on bone disease, with more than 115,000 copies published to date — the Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism — and hosts the ASBMR Bone Curriculum website (link available via www.asbmr.org). To register or for more information, please contact: Visit the Bone Quality Meeting website at www.asbmr.org/bonequality.cfm.
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