X-ray diagnosis of skeleton alterations in cases of chronic renal insufficiency

The thesis contains the data of 410 patients. Apart from the classical evaluation of the radiograms, two new methods were applied: X-ray morphometry and microradioscopy. The former method consists of the determination of the ''compacta-index'' in the second metacarpal bone, of the ''biconcave index'' in the lumbal vertebrae, and of the alterations of the trabecular system in the proximal epi-metaphysis of the femur. Microradioscopy was carried but by 9-fold magnification of the radiogram, exposed on finely granulated industrial film. By these methods alterations of the skeleton have been found in 33% of the patients. These alterations are due mainly to secondary hyperparathyreosis, hyperproduction of calcitonin, or treatment with steroids or heparin, resp. Similar conditions were experimentally induced in animals, and analogous alterations could be observed. (L.E.)