Bone mineral density of the spine and the hip measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry: Normal range and fracture threshold for Western European (Belgian) postmenopausal females

Abstract

Bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine and the different regions of interest (ROI) of the hip were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 278 healthy Belgian postmenopausal women and 93 postmenopausal type I osteoporotic females in order to: a) determine the normal range for lumbar and hip BMD values; b) define an "hypothetical" fracture threshold in this population; c) determine the preferential region to be considered for clinical use in type I osteoporosis. In the normal subjects, there is a negative relationship (< 0.001) between age or time elapsed since menopause (Tm) and BMD measured at the level of the spine or at the ROI of the hip. For the spine, evidence of a curvilinear relationship was assessed. Regressions of BMD at the hip as a function of age or time elapsed since menopause, were best fitted by a linear relationship. In the population of postmenopausal women who have experienced a vertebral crush fracture, no relationships were observed between spine BMD and age or Tm but the osteoporotic women had a spine BMD significantly lower compared to age-matched normal controls: Z-score = -1.2 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SD) (p < 0.0001). Fracture threshold calculated as the 90th percentile of spine BMD measured in osteoporotic patients was 0.840 g/cm2, corresponding to the mean value -1 SD for a population of women aged 51 years.

One-year soy isoflavone supplementation prevents early postmenopausal bone loss but without a dose-dependent effect

“…The BMD of the proximal femur was reported to have the highest diagnostic sensitivity for both spinal and femoral fractures in postmenopausal women [13,14]. The femoral neck BMD is effective in predicting osteoporotic fracture risk within the first decade after diagnosis.…”

High Prevalence of Low Femoral Bone Mineral Density in Elderly Women Living in Nursing Homes or Community-Dwelling: A Plausible Role of Increased Parathyroid Hormone Secretion

“…In our experience, the in vivo long-term precision of the measurement of femoral neck BMD is 2.3% [23]. Following the World Health Organization definition of osteoporosis (T-score 572.5), the threshold value for femoral neck BMD osteoporosis, by this technique, based on the Belgian database for postmenopausal women, is 0.600 g/cm 2 [1,22].…”

“…The region of interest chosen for the study was the femoral neck (neck BMD) and neck BMD was calculated following a classical and previously validated procedure including the use of the positioner provided by the manufacturer [21,22]. Over the 12 months of the study, the precision of the measurements of the phantom was characterized by a long-term coefficient of variation of 0.44%.…”

Changes in Bone Mineral Density with Age in Men and Women: A Longitudinal Study

“…Several studies have shown an age-related decrease in BMD in both men and women at different skeletal sites [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]; in women the decrease occurs predominantly after the menopause. Most of these studies dealing with the collection of normal values for bone density have only been concerned with either men or women, a specific age group, a specific site for BMD measurement or they have used a cross-sectional design.…”