title: Routine Coronary Calcium Scan Can Precisely Measure Vertebral Bone Density Without a Quantitative Calibration Phantom.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess accuracy and precision of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and phantomless in thoracic bone mineral density (BMD) assessment using coronary artery calcium scan (CACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 513 subjects underwent CACS with a calibration phantom. The thoracic spine BMD and concentration of calcium hydroxyapatite in phantom rods, as well CT Hounsfield unit of both, were measured. The thoracic BMD and phantom-rods calcium concentration were obtained using phantomless. The accuracy and precision error of QCT and phantomless were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean biases from true calcium concentration of phantom rods were 2.9% and 3.8% for the QCT and phantomless, respectively (P < 0.001). The biases of thoracic BMD from QCT by phantomless were 3.8% with a similar precision error in both methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The thoracic BMD can be assessed accurately and precisely using QCT and phantomless with a routine CACS.
authors.affiliation: From the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed), Torrance, CA.
authors.forename: Song Shou
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Yanting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Buodff
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed