Bone Disorders in Chronic Kidney Disease: An Update in Diagnosis and Management

Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is a bone disorder that occurs in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and is associated with 2- to 14-fold increased fracture risk compared to the general population. Risk of fractures is also increased in kidney transplant recipients especially within the first 5 years after transplantation. Fractures in CKD patients are associated with increased morbidity and mortality; thus, proper screening and management of CKD bone complications is critical to improving clinical outcomes. Tetracycline double-labeled transiliac crest bone biopsy with histomorphometry is the gold standard for the diagnosis and classification of ROD. However, bone biopsy is not practical to obtain in all patients. Thus, there is great interest in noninvasive approaches that can be used in the clinic to assess ROD. Here, we discuss the role of surrogate measures of bone health in CKD patients, such as dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and novel high-resolution imaging, in conjunction with biochemical biomarkers of bone turnover. Recommended guidelines for diagnosis and management of CKD-MBD are discussed.