A total of 2484 newly detected metabolic bone diseases during the past 17 years comprised 79.67% cases of osteoporoses and 20.33% of osteomalacia. The group of osteoporoses included 325 patients (16.43%) with the primary form of the disease, in 1654 patients (83.57%) a cause of decalcification of bones (secondary form) was found. With advancing time the number of secondary osteoporoses rises steadily, while the number of primary cases remains at the same level. In the aetiology of demineralization a major part was played by lactose intolerance, maldigestion and malabsorption, idiopathic, hypercalciuria, diabetes and steroids. The female: male ratio in primary osteoporoses was 4.71:1 and in secondary osteoporoses 2.35:1. Primary osteomalacia was recorded in 113 patients (22.38%) and secondary in 392 (77.62%). Here too with advancing time the number of secondary forms is increasing. The largest groups are hepatic and renal affections, smaller ones malabsorption and antiepileptic drugs. The female: male ratio in primary osteomalacia is 2.13:1 and in secondary osteomalacia 2.26:1. With the development of knowledge on the aetiopathogenesis of bone demineralizations we expect in future a further increase of secondary forms of the disease at the expanse of primary ones.

Keywords: Female; Humans; Male; Osteomalacia /etiology/; Osteoporosis /etiology/