In a cross-sectional study in 214 women who had undergone bilateral oophorectomy up to 12 years previously, the maximal rate of bone loss, as judged by radiogrammetry of the metacarpals and by dual-photon absorptiometry of the lumbar spine, coincided with the peak of the dissociation between urinary hydroxyproline excretion and/or plasma tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity and the activity of bone isoenzyme of serum alkaline phosphatase. A significant negative correlation was found between the prevalence of the biochemical indices of bone resorption relative to bone formation and/or biochemical indices of bone resorption and the change in the metacarpal cortical area per year. The prevalence of bone resorption relative to bone formation was evident even 12 years after oophorectomy, indicating continuous imbalance of bone remodeling in the patients. Accordingly, the rates of 2.8% cortical and 8% trabecular bone loss per year on the first year after oophorectomy decreased exponentially but did not become asymptotic with the slow phase of bone loss in healthy women up to 12 years after oophorectomy.

Department of Internal Medicine 3 Charles University Faculty of Medicine Prague Czechoslovakia

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