title: Which vertebrae should be assessed in diagnosing osteoporosis by plain radiography? Comparative study of radiographic findings and bone mineral density measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
abstract: In 1990, the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan advocated a criterion for the diagnosis radiographic bone atrophy in lumbar vertebrae. We carried out a comparative study of this criterion (i.e. , radiographic bone atrophy grading) and bone mineral density measured by posteroanterior and lateral dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. We investigated the second to fourth lumbar vertebrae of 47 postmenopausal women (mean age, 67.2 years; range, 57-82 years), to determine which vertebra would most accurately indicate osteoporosis. A significant difference in bone mineral density (P < 0.01) was found between each grade of radiographic bone atrophy in all of the second, third, and fourth vertebrae examined. The highest correlation (r = 0.714) was found between the radiographic grades and the bone mineral density on lateral dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the third lumbar vertebrae. Our visual determinations were dependable, radiographic and a examination of the third lumbar vertebra rather than that of other lumbar vertebrae was more helpful for the detection of radiographic bone atrophy. Plain radiographic film can provide a rough estimation of bone atrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nakatani Hospital, 105 Shinzaike, Hiraoka-cho, Kakogawa 675-01, Japan.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terashita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*