This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages without signing in

Pathogenesis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Chronic renal failure causes the following:

  • reduced 1-alpha hydroxylation of 25(0H) vitamin D:
    • calcium absorption from the gut is reduced
    • plasma calcium concentrations fall resulting in defective bone mineralization
    • secondary hyperparathyroidism results in increased bone resorption
  • metabolic acidosis:
    • buffering of H+ by calcium salts in bone also contributes to demineralisation
  • phosphate retention:
    • the [calcium] x [phosphate] solubility constant is exceeded resulting in metastatic calcification (osteosclerosis)

It is rare for the hypocalcaemia of renal osteodystrophy to cause tetany as both the acidosis and hypoalbuminaemia that accompany renal failure decrease the proportion of the total calcium which is protein-bound.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.