title: Hand bone mineral density reference values in a Turkish healthy female population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we aimed at identifying the bone mineral density (BMD) reference values of hands, according to age, measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and assessing the correlation of these values with lumbar and femoral BMD values.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 403 healthy women aged between 20 and 70 participated in our study. All BMD measurements are performed by DEXA method on both hands, anteroposterior lumbar spine (L2-L4) and right femur (femoral neck, total femur) regions. BMD results of all the patients were divided to 10-year age categories and evaluated in five subgroups in total (20-30 to 61-70).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 10-year age categories we found both dominant and non-dominant hand peak bone mass values in the 31-40 years age group (0.423 ± 0.039 g/cm², 0.410 ± 0.043 g/cm², respectively). Statistically significant positive correlation was defined between dominant and non-dominant hand BMD values and L2-L4 spine, femur neck and total femur values (for dominant hand r = 0.636, P = 0.0001; r = 0.645, P = 0.0001; r = 0.623; P = 0.0001; for non-dominant hand r = 0.624, P = 0.0001; r = 0.637, P = 0.0001, r = 0.623, P = 0.0001, respectively). Regarding the relationship of age and menopause with BMD results, a negative statistical relationship was observed among dominant and non-dominant hand, L2-L4 spine, femoral neck and total femur BMD values (P = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study has provided hand BMD reference values in women aged between 20-70 years; further studies are needed to investigate the role of these values in identifying diseases causing osteoporosis in the hand and in evaluating treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beril
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dogu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sirzai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Sisli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuran
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000592:standards*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050276:Hand Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 
  DEXA
  ; female population; hand bone mineral density; references values