title: Comparison between metacarpal bone measurements by computarized radiogrammetry and total body DEXA in normal and osteoporotic women.
abstract: We evaluated the precision of metacarpal radiogrammetry by computed radiography as a technique for bone mass measurement. Measurements obtained using this method were compared with densitometric measurements of total body bone mass using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Our results showed that the coefficients of variation for radiogrammetric measurements were similar in 60 women with osteoporosis and in 100 normal women: 0.7% in both groups for external diameter of the second metacarpal, 2.41% in the normal women and 2.03% in the women with osteoporosis for internal diameter, and 2.3% and 2.4%, respectively, for cortical thickness. Except for external metacarpal diameter, which did not differ between normal and osteoporotic women, all the measurements were smaller in the women with osteoporosis (p < 0.001). The correlation between metacarpal cortical thickness and total body bone mineral content was r2 = 0.462 in the women with osteoporosis, r2 = 0.476 in the controls, and r2 = 0.522 in the two groups combined (all p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between cortical thickness and densitometric metacarpal measurements of both the diaphysis and epiphysis. These results confirm the value of radiogrammetry as a technique for quantitating bone mass under normal and pathological conditions. Additional advantages of the method are minimal radiation dose delivered, possibility for storing the image and data, and technical facility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Radiodiagnostics Service, Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Revilla
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Martin-Santos
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cardenas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fraile
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015519:Bone Density; D001857:Bone Matrix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008663:Metacarpus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012016:Reference Values