Diminished Rates of Bone Formation in Normal Black Adults

Abstract

Blacks have a greater bone mass and a lower incidence of osteoporosis and hip fractures than whites. We performed biopsies of the iliac crest in 12 blacks (6 men and 6 women) and 13 whites (8 men and 5 women) who were matched for age (range, 19 to 46 years) and weight, to determine whether histomorphometric differences between blacks and whites could be identified.