title: Precision of total-body and regional bone mineral measurement by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
abstract: The precision of total-body and regional bone mineral measurements from whole body scans obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was determined in a phantom and two normal subjects. Whole body scans were performed once a week for three months at the speed of 80 mm/sec. Coefficients of variation for measurements of total-body bone mineral content (BMC) in the phantom and the subjects were 1.7% and 1.5% (average), respectively. Moreover, plots of total-body BMC values with time showed no significant slope, indicating the stability of the instrument. Regional BMC measurement from whole body scans, however, resulted in larger precision errors than total-body BMC measurement. This is attributed to the more rapid scan speed and coarser scan width used in whole body scanning as compared with regional scanning. Good precision of total-body BMC measurement by DEXA is of great clinical value in the assessment of metabolic bone disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakishita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tonami
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D001132:Arm; D015519:Bone Density; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D017886:Durapatite; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D006882:Hydroxyapatites / Q000032:analysis; D007866:Leg; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008961:Models, Structural; D013909:Thorax
chemical_list: D006882:Hydroxyapatites; D017886:Durapatite