Unidad de Endocrine Neck Surgery

Obesity unit

Consultants: Endocrine Neck Surgery

Consultants: Nutrition

Osteoporosis area

The Osteoporosis Area has medical specialists in endocrinology and nutrition, internal medicine, gynaecology, orthopaedic surgery and traumatology, and nuclear medicine and radiology.

The goals of treatment are: avoiding fractures, reducing the loss of bone density, increasing bone mass and relieving pain. Treatment is individualised since the goal is strengthen the bones in order to decrease the risk of fracture.

We provide the following treatments:

1. Calcium and vitamin D, in age-appropriate doses.

2. Calcitonin. This is a useful analgesic. It is suitable for patients who cannot receive other more current treatments.

3. Hormone replacement therapy with oestrogens or progestogens: their basic function is to treat climacteric syndrome, i.e. relieve the symptoms that affect some women during menopause, such as hot flashes.

4. Selective Oestrogen Receptor Modulators: They have positive effect on lumbar bone mass and femur bone mass. They are very useful in postmenopausal women who have osteopenia, preventing the onset of osteoporosis

5. Bisphosphonates: These reduce the risk of fracture in the spine and hip.

6. Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (PTH): This is injected subcutaneously on a daily basis for 18 months. It is indicated when there are fractures due to weakness or there is intolerance to other treatments.

7. Strontium Ranelate: This increases bone mass formation while simultaneously reducing excessive bone destruction. It is taken daily, diluted in water.