A study of the decrease of skin collagen content, skin thickness, and bone mass in the postmenopausal woman.

The skin collagen content, skin thickness, metacarpal index, and forearm bone mineral content in postmenopausal women showed a similar decline of between 1-2% per year after the menopause. All four parameters showed a decline that was significant when compared with the years from the menopause. Significant correlations between all four parameters suggest that a similar pathology causes the decrease in bone mass and skin thickness--a decline in the connective tissue element that is common to both bone and skin.