Total body bone mineral and lean body mass by dual-photon absorptiometry

Abstract

Total body bone mineral (TBBM) was measured in vivo using dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) in 10 subjects. The total body calcium (TBCa) was measured in the same subjects using neutron activation analysis. The correlation between the two methods was very high (r>0.99) and the standard error of estimate was low. The TBCa relative to TBBM was about 39%. The two noninvasive methods provided nearly identical indications of skeletal mass, but the radiation exposure with DPA was 500 to 5000 times smaller (0.6 mrem vs 300 to 3000 mrem). The radius shaft bone mineral content was highly correlated with the TBBM (0.97) and the TBCa (0.98) and could be used to estimate the latter variables with errors (1 SEE) of 9% and 6%, respectively.