[The principal mechanisms of age-related involution of wrist bones].

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the general mechanisms underlying age-specific changes in the bone tissue of the wrists by the assessment of the signs of their ageing on X-ray images. Roentgenograms of the left wrist of 261 men and 333 women at the age varying from 18 to 90 years were analysed by the planigraphic technique with the use of a scoring system for the estimation of the severity of the signs of ageing (osteoporosis, osteophytes). The study has shown that the signs of ageing in wrist bones become apparent approximately 4-6 years after the completion of ossification. The age-specific changes in the bones are characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism while both the rate of appearance and the intensity of expression of the markers of bone ageing depend on their localization on the radius and phalanges.