Welcome to the Website of Drs.

Michael Zapf, DPM, Darren Payne, DPM

Lorie Robinson, DPM and Steve Benson, DPM

Thank you for visiting the web site of Drs. Zapf, Payne, Robinson and Benson all practicing in two offices in the Conejo Valley. Our practice name is the Agoura-Los Robles Podiatry Centers. We have combined over 60 years of experience to better serve our patients. Dr. Michael Zapf is mostly responsible for hte content of this web site.. This site is intended for the patients of The Conejo- Los Robles Podiatry Centers. If you are not a patient, you are still welcome to visit the site and learn what you can about your problem. But the doctors cannot assume any responsibility for your care and cannot offer you any medical advice. You need to see your own professional. Your problem may well be different from what you think it is, even with the help of this site. Please note that all information and photographs on this site are copyrighted by the Conejo - Los Robles Podiatry Centers and cannot be used for any private or commercial use.

02/24/2008

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Tetracycline Bone

Double click the picture for a full-scale view of this blue-gray bone.

The blue-gray bone you see here is the exact same color I saw in surgery. When I first saw this phenomenon several years ago I worried about the pathology that I was looking at. What could cause bone to be blue-gray? The answer is tetracycline medications taken sometimes for an infection and more often by younger people for the treatment of acne. When taken by children the tetracycline medications can stain the teeth a mottled gray. When taken by more mature teens and older people the teeth do not become discolored but the bone and cartilage can get quite dark. In the other cases I have seen the bone was a darker gray. This was the first time I saw it more bluish. I sent a sample of the bone to the pathology lab and, as usual for these cases, microscopically there was nothing abnormal about the bone. This young lady was taking the form of tetracycline known as Minocycline. While acne usually plagues teens I had one patient with brown bone who took the medicine for only one year, but after the age of 40! . ...MZ

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Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: February 24, 2008