[Genetic determination of bone density].

Osteoporosis is a very common disease that concerns every forth postmenopausal white woman. The loss of bone density leads to fractures, mainly to fractures of the neck of the femur. A hereditary genesis of the idiopathic osteoporosis seems to be sure. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) has an important role for the mineralisation of the bones. His allelic variants can be used for a prediction of bone density. These alleles are correlated with endonuclease restriction areas for Bsm-1, Apa-1 and Taq-1. Among these Bsm-1 has the highest incidence for prediction. In this study the allelic variants of the VDR gene correlated with the bone density of the lumbar spine (p < 0.009).