Bone remodeling is an expected sequela with total hip arthroplasty (THA). Although there are several methods of estimating bone response in THA patients from radiographs, there are no accurate and generally accepted methods for quantitative determinations in vivo. In this study, we describe an application of dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for measuring bone mineral content and bone mineral density in the proximal femur following THA. DXA is a noninvasive technique with minimal radiation exposure (< 5 mrem). Various aspects of measurement error (accuracy and reliability) of this application of DXA were determined in a series of studies reported here. Accuracy error (how similar are the measured and actual values) was < 1% determined in bone phantoms of four densities. Precision error (how reproducible are the measurements) was also < 1% at all four densities in the phantoms and was only slightly elevated (0.9-1.5%) in repeated measurements of implanted cadaver femora. Precision error in vivo, determined both from multiple replicates on five patients and from duplicate scans on 30 patients, was further elevated but remained < 5%. Contributions to precision error, rotation of the leg, and interoperator variability were assessed; none was found to elevate precision error appreciably. We suggest that DXA is a feasible method for quantifying bone response following THA, and will allow discrimination of small changes (> 5%) not previously measurable.