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Welcome to another edition of the Sportsmedicine Advantage, the official newsletter of South Florida Institute of Sports Medicine.

What's NEWs

Construction of our Tamarac office continues to roll along. Based on the progress, we look to be opening our doors to this office by May 1st. We are excited to be able to bring all 3 disciplines of our practice- Orthopaedics, Podiatry, and Rehabilitation- under one roof in a modern office.

This month's focus is on a condition, which based on not only research of the most recent literature, but also the experience of our doctors, is reaching epidemic levels in our country- osteoporosis. Much like many diseasees and conditions in our country, osteoporosis is being recognized in not only our older population, but is being diagnosed more in younger patients. In our article, you will find some recent research which appears to point to why it is being diagnosed in younger people.

Osteoporosis and your health

Osteoporosis is a gradual loss of bone mineral content, density, and subsequently strength of the bone. Most people who are generally familiar with the term osteoporosis may think of the old, stooped-over woman who falls and fractures the hip. However, there is much more to osteoporosis, both in terms of what contributes to the disease and at what age we need to start focusing on prevention.

Osteoporosis actually can develop early (sometimes as early as 20’s or 30’s) but may remain undetectable, particularly in asymptomatic patients. Often osteoporosis may be detected in a patient who receives an x-ray, particularly of an extremity and the loss of mineralization is seen.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has identified factors that can put people at risk:

• Thin or small frame
• Advanced age
• Family history of osteoporosis
• Menopause, including early or surgically induced menopause; woman can lose up to 20% of bone mass in the 5 to 7 years following menopause
• Amenorrhea (abnormal absence of menstrual periods)
• Low calcium diet
• Long-term use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants
• Low testosterone levels in men
• Inactive lifestyle
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol use

Tests to determine prescence of and level of osteoporosis:

• Bone densinometry, of which there are 2 types
  • Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, which measures density in the spine, hip, or total body
  • Peripheral dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, which measures density in the wrists, heels, or fingers.
• Quantitative Ultrasound measures density of the heels, shinbone and kneecaps
• Quantitative CT scan primarily measures bone density at the spine, but a peripheral quantitative CT examines other sites, such as the wrists

Radiographic absorptiometry uses a hand x ray and a small metal wedge to calculate bone density

On-going preventive measures include:

• Ample weight bearing exercise during younger years-bone density responds during younger years in direct response to the amount of force placed on it
• Calcium supplementation- In addition to proper diet, at least 1200 mg of Calcium with a Vitamin D supplement taken in two divided daily doses is recommended
• Proper Nutrition- current research is shedding more light on proper nutrition as a key to successfully managing/preventing osteoporosis. Below are some highlights of recent research:

Elderly women who have a higher intake of dietary protein from animal products have a higher risk of bone loss and hip fracture; there appears to a correlation due to the fact that animal proteins have a high amount of acid.
Vegetables have some acid, but they have higher levels of base- which is a substance that works to neutralize acid
Other Studies at UCLA found that after 7 months of feeding one group of mice a high-fat diet to elevate cholesterol and one group of mice a normal diet, the high-fat diet group showed a 43% decrease in mineral content and a 15% decrease in bone density in the femoral bones.

As these studies continue, it appears that helping prevent/treat osteoporosis more effectively will require a dual approach to both the bone-building cells and the factors that degenerate bone.

We hope that you find this month's article enlightening. Again, it appears as though a healthy diet not only combats high cholesterol and can reduce the risk of complications such as heart disease, but also helps to keep our bones strong.

Feel free to pass our newsletter along to others who may benefit from the information we disseminate. We always welcome new additions to our patient newsletter and visitors to our site.

Our upcoming newsletter will shed some light on proper shoegear selection. Until then, be well

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