[Metabolic bone disease and bone quality].

On the progress of study concerned with pathology of metabolic bone disease such as osteoporosis, it has been known that most of bone strength can be explained by bone volume. As bone volume can be determine by bone mineral density (BMD) with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), it has been widely used for diagnosis of osteoporosis or efficacy of treatment. However, with the advance of bone morphometry, decrease of bone strength or existence of insufficiency fracture is influenced by not only loss of BMD but also deterioration of bone quality especially bone microstructure. In this chapter, we will give an outline of change of bone quality in metabolic bone disease.