Bone density

WikiDoc Resources for Bone density
Articles
Most recent articles on Bone density Most cited articles on Bone density Review articles on Bone density Articles on Bone density in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ
Media
Powerpoint slides on Bone density Images of Bone density Photos of Bone density Podcasts & MP3s on Bone density Videos on Bone density
Evidence Based Medicine
Cochrane Collaboration on Bone density Bandolier on Bone density TRIP on Bone density
Clinical Trials
Ongoing Trials on Bone density at Clinical Trials.gov Trial results on Bone density Clinical Trials on Bone density at Google
Guidelines / Policies / Govt
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Bone density NICE Guidance on Bone density NHS PRODIGY Guidance FDA on Bone density CDC on Bone density
Books
Books on Bone density
News
Bone density in the news Be alerted to news on Bone density News trends on Bone density
Commentary
Blogs on Bone density
Definitions
Definitions of Bone density
Patient Resources / Community
Patient resources on Bone density Discussion groups on Bone density Patient Handouts on Bone density Directions to Hospitals Treating Bone density Risk calculators and risk factors for Bone density
Healthcare Provider Resources
Symptoms of Bone density Causes & Risk Factors for Bone density Diagnostic studies for Bone density Treatment of Bone density
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
CME Programs on Bone density
International
Bone density en Espanol Bone density en Francais
Business
Bone density in the Marketplace Patents on Bone density
Experimental / Informatics
List of terms related to Bone density

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Bone density is a medical term referring to the amount of matter per cubic centimeter of bones. It is measured by a procedure called densitometry, often performed in the radiology or nuclear medicine departments of hospitals or clinics. The measurement is painless and non-invasive and involves minimal radiation exposure. Measurements are most commonly made over the lumbar spine and over the upper part of the hip. The forearm is scanned if either the hip or the lumbar spine can't be.

Indication

The most common reason for measuring bone density is to screen for, or diagnose, osteoporosis.

Interpretation

Results are often reported in 3 terms:

1. Measured density in g/cm³
2. Z-score, the number of standard deviations above or below the mean for the patient's age and sex
3. T-score, the number of standard deviations above or below the mean for a healthy 30 year old adult of the same sex as the patient

Limitations

The technique has several limitations.

1. Measurement can be affected by the size of the patient, the thickness of tissue overlying the bone, and other factors extraneous to the bones.
2. Bone density is a proxy measurement for bone strength, which is the resistance to fracture and the truly significant characteristic. Although the two are usually related, there are some circumstances in which bone density is a poorer indicator of bone strength.
3. Reference standards for some populations (e.g., children) are unavailable for many of the methods used.
4. Crushed vertebrae can result in falsely high bone density so must be excluded from analysis.