Like its predecessors, the latest edition of this now-classic reference
book provides a comprehensive overview of bone diseases and of disorders of
mineral metabolism in a single volume. The title is something of a misnomer as
it does not fully describe the content of the book. Rather than being
restricted to pathology, as implied by the title, the book also provides an
excellent background in the biology of normal bone.
This edition has been expanded to 567 pages, which is sixty-five pages more
than the fourth edition, published in 1999. In general, the content and the
successful organization of the previous edition have been retained. The book
has been formatted into ninety-one brief chapters that average six pages each.
Since the last edition, several added chapters cover new topics (e.g., the
calcium-sensing receptor and the evaluation and clinical implications of
fractures), add to existing topics (e.g., the skeletal physiology of the fetus
and the neonate), or discuss several of the major therapeutic agents for
osteoporosis. These additions are well chosen and enhance the value of the
work appreciably. A few chapters have been deleted, including the chapter on
the clinical application of bone density, which leaves this important aspect
of bone evaluation under-represented in this edition.
While the text as a whole has been expanded noticeably, the degree to which
individual chapters have been updated varies. Some chapters, including their
references, are virtually identical to those published in the 1999 edition.
Many chapters have been selectively updated by way of a description of new
developments in the field. Other chapters have been extensively rewritten. In
addition, the clarity of some of the figures is noticeably better.
This edition continues to fulfill its role as a primer by providing a sound
foundation for each of its subjects. The fact that this foundation is nicely
augmented with in-depth and occasionally even esoteric information makes the
book suitable for a broad audience. Although definitions within the book are
well handled in general, an even greater attention to the definition of terms
and abbreviations would have been helpful to the reader who will make use of
the book as a primer. The authors do a very good job of providing enough
references for interested readers who wish to pursue the subject further.
Regrettably, the index to this edition is, at best, marginal. Indeed, it is
shorter than that in the fourth edition, and it can be difficult and
time-consuming to find specific items of interest.
A useful addition to this edition is the summary of gene disorders in the
appendix. This summary replaces the much shorter list that was incorporated
into the chapter on molecular diagnosis in the fourth edition. The appendix
also includes a list of laboratory values related to calcium metabolism and
metabolic bone disease.
The authors are among the most eminent in their respective subjects, and
many of them have contributed greatly to the knowledge that they are
presenting. Yet the chapters are not simply summaries of the work of the
individual authors. This book is written for medical students, residents,
fellows, and clinicians who are involved in the care of patients as well as
for graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and investigators in the field
of mineral metabolism.
The book should be included in the library of every orthopaedic department
and in the reference section, if not also the stacks, of every medical-school
library. Individuals with special interest in this field will find that the
volume is a handy reference book for their own library shelves.