Liver transplantation-related osteoporosis and fragility fractures: pathogenic pathways, risk stratification and novel targeted therapy advances

Description

Meiqi Wang and Qi Wang review bone disease after liver transplantation, a complication they call frequently overlooked. Transplantation cures end-stage liver disease, but recipients lose bone rapidly. The review organizes evidence on causes, risk assessment, and new targeted treatments. Damage accumulates in three phases: waiting for the organ, the early months after surgery, and the long chronic years. Fracture risk peaks within the first year.

Before transplant, malnutrition, hormone disturbance, and inflammation weaken the skeleton. Afterward, high-dose steroids, anti-rejection drug toxicity, and surgical injury spike bone turnover. Later, hormone and diabetes problems stall cortical repair. Stratifying patients by phase and risk could focus preventive drugs where they matter. The twenty twenty-six review argues bone care belongs in standard transplant follow-up.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13628645