Absorptiometric assessment of muscle-bone relationships in humans: reference, validation, and application studies.
This report summarizes some preliminary absorptiometric (DXA, QCT/pQCT) studies from our laboratory, supporting the following assumptions. 1. In Homo sapiens at all ages, natural proportionality between DXA-assessed bone mineral mass (bone mineral content, BMC) and muscle mass (lean mass, LM) of the whole body or limbs is specific for ethnicity, gender, and reproductive status, but not for body weight, height, or body mass index. 2. This proportionality is sensitive to many kinds of endocrine-metabolic perturbations. 3. Percentilized or Z-scored charts of the BMC/LM correlations as determined in large samples of healthy individuals can provide a diagnostic reference for evaluating proportionality in different conditions. 4. Employing exclusively DXA, this methodology can be applied to discriminate between "disuse-related" and "metabolic" osteopenias based on the finding of normal or low BMC/LM percentiles or Z-scores respectively, with important therapeutic and monitoring implications.
Cointry
Gustavo R
GR
Center for P-Ca Metabolism Studies (CEMFoC), National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
Capozza
Ricardo F
RF
Ferretti
Sebastián E
SE
Meta
Margarita D
MD
Feldman
Sara
S
Capiglioni
Ricardo
R
Reina
Paola
P
Fracalossi
Néstor M
NM
Ulla
María R
MR
Cure-Cure
Carlos
C
Ferretti
José L
JL
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D015519:Bone Density; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology