The Spectrum of Renal Osteodystropy

It has been known for more than a century that patients with renal failure develop bone deformities and osteoarticular complications leading to pain and frequently disabling consequences for physical activity; in addition, growth retardation is a frequent complication in children with advanced renal insufficiency. In recent years there have been major advances in the understanding and treatment of the complications described under the term "renal osteodystrophy".In recent years, our understanding of the underlying causes and mechanisms involved in these complications has made major progress. In addition, new drugs have been developed that will have a major impact in the prevention and treatment of renal osteodystrophy.The purpose of this book is to provide a state of the art overview of the various forms of renalosteodystrophy. Our aim is further to bring to the attention of adult and pediatirc nephrologists, other specialists and practitioners the new developments in this area and to discuss their potential role in the treatment and prevention of the abnormalities of bone and mineral metabolism that occur in children and adults with renal failure.