Osteoporosis Trabecular Bone Testing

Understanding Bone Density and Testing:

There presently are drugs designed to increase “bone mineral density” (BMD) in the bones. However the body also needs healthy bones with the ability for “rapid turnover rates,” not just dense bones alone. While BMD drugs are shown to increase BMD, these drugs in my studies do not address calcium turnover rates. Meaning the human body is constantly depositing, then withdrawing calcium from the bones, then putting fresh calcium back into the bones. BMD drugs do not address calcium coming and going from the bones, just going into the bones. This is an essential exchange to maintain a constant balance of calcium homeostasis and to maintain a healthy body, including healthy bones. In addition, the tests for bone density are not the same tests to determine resistance to breakage which is called “tensile strength.” Just because a bone might look dense in an x-ray or BMD test, does not necessarily mean the bone is also more resistant to breakage.

TBS – Trabecular Bone Score:

• Recently developed to assess bone quality. As of 2025 is not widely known.
• Provides measurement of Bone Trabecular Micro-Architecture.
• Is a computer software application installed on DXA machines.
• Trabecular Bone Quality is the missing piece of the puzzle to accurately predict risk of bone fracture.
• Less invasive than DXA, minimal radiation.

DXA – Dual X-ray Absorptiometry:

• Most common test to diagnose osteoporosis.
• Measures bone mineral mass/density” (BMD)
• DXA and BMD mean the same thing.
• Incomplete analysis for risk of Osteoporosis.
• Doesn’t provide information on Bone MICRO-ARCHITECTURE.
• Generates a T-score which determines bone mass, not BONE QUALITY.

SUMMERY

• Lots of well connected trabeculae means bones are less likely to break. Think of a bridge with many cross-connected support beans. Opposed to one main bridge beam with NO cross supports. While the second might look strong, without cross support beams the bridge will collapse more easily. Or think of it like roof trusses.

Understanding DXA T-Scores

-0.0 No bone loss
-1.0 10% bone loss
-2.0 20% bone loss
-3.0 30% bone loss
-4.0 40% bone loss
-5.0 50% bone loss

Types of Osteoporosis

Type I: Mostly seen amongst women who have experienced post-menopause.
Type II: Mainly observed amongst men with hypogonadism.

Additional Considerations

There are more than 60 trillion cells in the human body. These cells are continuously being replicated during a person’s life span. As part of the natural aging process, these replication rates decrease. At this same time calcium homeostasis also decreases, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction (power plants inside all cells to produce energy). Then cells begin to fail which has the potential to lead to cell and DNA mutations which then can lead to cancers, osteoporosis and numerous other neuro-degenerative diseases (bodily functions which rely on nerve signaling, which is just about everything).

According to medical school training and current medical research, calcium is closely related to mitochondrial function, which is key to treating aging-related chronic degenerative diseases as well and cancers. P53 migrates to the mitochondria and mediates the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway (elimination of cells that threaten life).