THE SPECTRUM OF RENAL OSTEODYSTROPHY – NOVEL AND OLD PARADIGMS

“Chronic kidney disease-related mineral and bone disorder” is a newly introduced concept which replaced the former term of “renal osteodystrophy” or “renal bone disease”. It highlights the need for understanding the complex relationships among calcium-phosphate axis, bone metabolism, ectopic calcification and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. It has the merit to shift the focus from monitoring and treating separate biochemical abnormalities at all costs to the greater aim of improvement survival and reducing major cardiovascular events. However, mainly because of the lack of reliable assessment tools, the bone disorders component is discussed to a much lesser extent even it accounts for major physical disabilities and result in significant impairment of the quality of life. Therefore, the current review aimed to briefly remind the older and newer knowledge in the field of bone changes that occur during the course of chronic kidney disease.