Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico Santa Fe Bone Symposium 2023

The 23rd Annual Santa Fe Bone Symposium (2023) was a specialized hybrid meeting devoted to the latest advances in the science, economics, and clinical management of osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases. Organized by the Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico, this symposium is widely regarded as one of the most practical and clinically relevant bone health meetings in the United States.
The 2023 edition emphasized “Progress and Controversies,” focusing on the difficult “grey areas” of clinical practice—such as when to stop treatment (drug holidays), how to manage bone health in cancer patients, and navigating the complexities of rare skeletal disorders.
+ What You Will Learn
The curriculum was designed to bridge the gap between basic bone biology and daily patient care. Key learning outcomes included:

Treatment Transitions: Strategies for sequencing osteoporosis therapies (e.g., anabolic to antiresorptive) and managing “drug holidays” for bisphosphonates.

Bone Turnover Markers: Practical applications of CTX and P1NP in clinical practice—specifically using them to monitor adherence and drug efficacy rather than just for diagnosis.

Skeletal Rare Diseases: How to recognize and manage “zebras” like Hypophosphatasia (HPP), X-Linked Hypophosphatemia (XLH), and Hypoparathyroidism in an adult clinic.

Special Populations: Managing bone health in “non-traditional” osteoporosis patients, including premenopausal women, pregnancy/lactation-associated osteoporosis, and cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL).

Diagnostic Standards: Updates from the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) regarding official positions on DXA interpretation.

+ Event Details

Event: 23rd Annual Santa Fe Bone Symposium

Dates: August 4–5, 2023 (Friday–Saturday)

Location: Eldorado Hotel & Conference Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Director: E. Michael Lewiecki, MD

+ Who Should Attend

Endocrinologists & Rheumatologists: Managing complex metabolic bone cases.

Geriatricians & Internists: Handling the primary prevention and treatment of fractures.

Bone Densitometry Technologists: Who need specific CE credits and updates on ISCD standards.

Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) Coordinators: Nurses and APPs running secondary fracture prevention programs.

Orthopedic Surgeons: Interested in the medical optimization of bone health prior to spine or fusion surgery.

+ Why Attend

Project ECHO Workshop: The symposium traditionally features a session dedicated to the Project ECHO model (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a telementoring initiative that started in New Mexico to democratize specialty knowledge.

Fellows Workshop: It is preceded by the Santa Fe Fellows Workshop on Metabolic Bone Diseases, meaning the main symposium features cutting-edge abstracts and presentations from the “next generation” of bone experts.

Intimacy & Access: Unlike massive conferences (like ASBMR), the Santa Fe symposium is known for its smaller, collegial atmosphere where attendees can easily approach world-renowned faculty like Dr. John Bilezikian or Dr. Michael McClung during breaks.

+ Topics
The 2023 agenda featured a mix of didactic lectures and panel debates:

Therapeutics & Guidelines:

Transitions and Holidays in Osteoporosis Therapy (Michael McClung, MD)

Controversies in Vitamin D (John Bilezikian, MD)

ISCD Official Positions Update (Bill Leslie, MD)

Clinical Conundrums:

Spine Surgery and Bone Health (Mark Prasarn, MD)

Premenopausal, Pregnancy, and Lactation-Associated Osteoporosis (Christopher Kovacs, MD)

Nutrition and Skeletal Health: Updates and Controversies (Deborah Sellmeyer, MD)

Basic Science & Genetics:

Basic Bone Biology for Clinicians (Teresita Bellido, PhD)

Update on Genetic Testing for Skeletal Diseases (Brendan Lee, MD)

Oncology:

Cancer Treatment Induced Bone Loss in Breast and Prostate Cancer (Azeez Farooki, MD)