Effects of chronic uremia on bone.

Iliac crest bone biopsies in patients with chronic renal failure with severely disturbed renal function were measured with regard to osteoclast activity and active and inactive osteoid. In none of the 21 patients had hemodialysis been applied. In uremia cases, as earlier demonstrated in hemodialysis cases, the alkaline phosphatase and the parathyroid hormone activity were the best variables for prediction of bone complications. However, none of the laboratory variables or all taken together could predict the type of bone changes. The osteoclast activity was less than in hemodialysis cases indicating that secondary hyperparathyroidism may be less important in the non-hemodialysed cases.