title: The effect of extending femur scan length on BMD results on the Hologic Discovery-W scanner.
abstract: A longer dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan field of the hip may be useful for the detection of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures. It has been demonstrated in a Prodigy GE/Lunar scanner that extending the scan length does not affect bone mineral density (BMD) results at the total hip or femoral neck. We hypothesized that extending the scan field on a Hologic Discovery scanner would also have no effect on BMD results at the hip. Thirty subjects who presented for standard of care dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans underwent paired default (15.2 cm) and extended (24.1 cm) length hip scans. There was no significant difference in the total hip or any of the component subregions of femoral neck, greater trochanter, or intertrochanteric (shaft) BMD between the default and extended length scans.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. Electronic address: gprater@uabmc.edu.
authors.forename: Ginnie L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Prater
authors.affiliation: Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Morton Grove, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Jankowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peace
authors.affiliation: The UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nunnally
authors.affiliation: The UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Leandria
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burroughs
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; The UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic, Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Atypical subtrochanteric femur fracture; DXA; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; femur length; scan field