title: Skeletal site bone mineral density heterogeneity in women and men.
abstract: The heterogeneity of skeletal bone mineral density, measured on a single dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer, was examined in a large cohort of 7050 women and 702 men referred for investigation of osteoporosis. The men were significantly older (64.8 +/- 13.2 vs 60.2 +/- 11.5 years) and had an increased prevalence of nontraumatic fractures (ODR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.82-2.61). The detection rate (sensitivity) for any osteoporosis (spine or hip) in women was 87.1% and 45.1% when assessed at the anteroposterior (AP) spine and femoral neck respectively. The corresponding osteoporosis detection rate in men was 69.3% and 67.5% at the AP spine and femoral neck respectively. Age-related AP spine degenerative changes increased significantly and at a similar rate for both women and men. Misclassification, that is osteoporosis (T-score < -2.5) at one site and normal (T-score > -1) bone mass at the other, was low in both genders (< 4.5%), but 3.1 (95% CI: 2.1-4.6) times more likely in women when the diagnosis was based on the femoral neck compared with the AP spine. Our findings suggest that there are significant age- and gender-related bone mineral density differences between the spine and hip skeletal sites which have to be considered if only one site is selected for investigation.
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, South Australia 5011. george.phillipov@nwahs.sa.gov.au
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Phillipov
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013131:Spine / Q000503:physiopathology