Femoral Neck and Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Densities in a Normal Population 3–20 Years of Age

Abstract

Dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) with a ¹⁵³gadolinium radionuclide source was used to measure bone mineral in the lumbar spine of 109 subjects and the femoral neck of 100 subjects 3–20 years of age. From the scan data collected, multiple linear regression models were developed to predict the measured bone mineral density values as a function of age, height, and weight; male and female data were evaluated separately. From the table of predicted values, a particular subject's bone mineral measurements can be readily compared with that of normal subjects in the same way “growth charts” are commonly used to assess development.