Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group DEXA Bone Scan Questions?

Hello Everyone,
I just had a DEXA bone scan done at my rheumy appointment last week.
I just got the results back in the mail. I found out that I have osteoporosis
of the spine. The t scores listed on the report do not mean anything to me at
this time. Does anyone know where I can find out what the normal t scores are
for a normal healthy person without osteoporosis? I would like to figure out to
what degree of severity I have osteoporosis in my spine. Otherwise, I will have
to wait and find out at my next rheumy appointment. Thanks for any help you
can provide.
Take Care
Kevin

I don't know how they score the things, but I had one and was told my bones are fine, so I'm no help at all. Are people with AS more prone to osteoporosis? I know we're more prone to weird places for osteoarthritis.

Cheryl

Dogs just wanna have fun

I had a scan done a few weeks ago. I had T-scores of -2.6 and -2.7 (hips and spine)

You can do a search on any search engine and find an abundance of information on Osteoporosis. Below is a link to the National Osteoporosis Foundations's page explaining bone density scan results.

http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/bmdtest.htm

Hope this helps.

Monica

PS: My doc recommended I take medication called Fosamax, apparently it is proven to rebuild the bones. I havn't started on it yet because of some other problems I have going on that I am in the process of getting checked out. I'd be interested to know what your doc recommends to you.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Behold the beauty of Orca Art

Edited by Michelle in Md on 02/22/03 09:31 PM (server time).

Maybe try searching for Dexa bone scan test - on the internet. Who knows what you might find out.

George

Breb Assyl

Hi, Kevin:

The t-score appears to be the statistical variation (like t-or student's T distributions) from a standardized mean. The standard is measured in the average young healthy adult, and I can only imagine that the distribution from this would not be a nice bell-shape, but a 'Wunsch' type; skewed to the negative side as we age because it is normal to loose bone density.

The problem is that you have lost so much more than average for your age that they consider this level as "osteoporosis."

The assigned numbers in statistics can be a bit misleading. One sigma, for example, should be about 34% (a standard deviation--SD--is just over 68%), two sigma is 13.6%, and 3 sigma around 2%. If numbers are given in SD, a polarity should be assigned (SD is equal to 2 times the sigma in a symmetrical curve, but the real story is which side of the curve you are on--a negative value places you on the deficit portion and a -3.0 SD means that 2 people out of 100 will be as bad as this, while another 2 out of 100 will be equally good). It is a non-linear progression--but not quite logarithmic.

Statistical methods are a great way to characterize things, if we understand the results. Many people are integrated together to make up the statistical model, so the results are usually very accurate and based upon real-time, empirical data.

AS is a calcium and mineral bone-wasting condition, and the later progression can be measured by your degree of kyphosis. Basically, with heels and shoulders against the wall, how far will the back of your head be from this plane? Before this kyphosis begins, measurable height loss occurs. Both are due to the collapsing vertebrae.

It is the inflammation from KRA that causes first bone speculae (the calcium reservoirs in bone) and then matrix to slough off (bone matrix depletion can result in kidney stones). Getting out of inflammation might totally halt the osteoporosis progression, but I know that (due to direct experience) many of the drugs they prescribe for our pain will actually increase the rate of this bone-wasting.

Best Regards and best of luck to you,
John

Monica,
Thanks for posting the link to the National Osteoporosis Foundation's website.
I will check it out and read up on DEXA bone scans. I will let you know
what I find out about treatment options after I talk to my rheumy soon.
Thanks again !
Kevin

John,
Thanks for all the information!
Take Care !
Kevin

Hi John!

If you have time, would you mind enlightening me on what the acronym KRA stands for?

Thanks a bunch!

mig

Dear mig:

You haven't read this paper? https://www.kickas.org/medical/6.shtml


Here is the relevant excerpt--[color emphasis my own]

"The body of cumulative evidence reviewed involving immunogenetic, microbiological and serological studies carried out independently by various groups leads to the suggestion that, AS is a form of "Klebsiella reactive arthritis" (KRA). This entity could be defined by objective tests involving three main lines of experimental findings [66]:

1) Klebsiella microbes can be isolated from the bowel of active AS patients.
2) Klebsiella antibodies can be identified in the sera of active AS patients.
3) Klebsiella cross-reacts with HLA-B27 and collagens I, III and IV self-antigens.

The concept of "KRA" could be placed in the same category as other types of "reactive arthritis" which are caused by gut or urinary bacteria, such as Yersinia, Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Ureaplasma and Chlamydia. In these conditions the laboratory diagnosis can be confirmed by finding elevated specific anti-bacterial antibodies in the sera with or without isolation of . . . "


I know there is a lot of information available on this site and it would take quite some time to read it all and keep up with the forum...er forums if you include this one

Best Always,
John

Thanks John!

Oops,... I'll have to blame my drug induced brain fog on this one. Yes,... as a matter of fact I actually have read the whole thing once upon a time .... and apparently it's high time I refresh my memory and read it over again. Can't believe my mind didn't get there,.... sorry for being a pain!

Okay.. point taken! I'll make a renewed effort to venture onto the (main?) forum.

Thanks for being so helpful (as usual)!

mig