Assessing Areal Bone Mineral Density in Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis

According to a study published in Frontiers in Medicine, patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) had normal bone mass and bone quality parameters.

Researchers aimed to assess bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality in patients with psoriasis (PsO) alone or with PsA compared to matched control subjects. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to determine areal BMD (aBMD) at various skeletal sites, while trabecular bone score (TBS) and 3D DXA-based analysis assessed bone quality.

Results from 196 subjects, including 52 patients with PsA, 52 patients with PsO, and their respective controls, revealed comparable aBMD, TBS, and 3D DXA parameters in patients with PsA compared to controls. However, patients with PsA exhibited higher aBMD at the left femur and cortical 3D DXA parameters at the total hip after adjustment for confounders. Interestingly, TBS was decreased in patients with PsO compared to controls.

“Patients with PsO were characterized by higher femoral neck bone density by DXA and cortical parameters by 3D DXA-based analysis, supporting no increased risk for hip fracture,” the authors concluded, “Conversely, bone texture by TBS assessment was decreased in patients with PsO, which may be associated with impaired vertebral bone resistance.”

Reference
Toussirot E, Winzenrieth R, Aubin F, Wendling D, Vauchy C, Desmarets M. Areal bone mineral density, trabecular bone score and 3D-DXA analysis of proximal femur in psoriatic disease. Front Med (Lausanne). Published online January 20, 2024. doi:10.3389/fmed.2024.1341077