Bone Mineral Content Measured by Direct Photon Absorptiometry in a Normal Population and in Patients on Maintenance Haemodialysis

Abstract

Bone mineral assessment, by monoenergetic photon absorption in vivo, has been carried out at a standard site in the radial shaft of 39 male and 54 female control subjects from a normal population, and in 13 patients who have been on maintenance haemodialysis for periods varying between 3 months and 5 years. Mean bone mineral content (±S.D.) was 1.22 ± 0.13 g. per cm. of shaft segment length for the normal male and 0.87 ± 0.08 g. per cm. for the normal female control subjects. Only 2 of the haemodialysed patients had values outwith the 95 per cent confidence limits of the normal range. In the patients a correlation was noted between the current plasma alkaline phosphatase level and the bone mineral content. Bone scanning by photon absorption is recommended as a convenient and sensitive method for routine clinical assessment of bone status.