Purpose
Bone densitometry is one of the major tools for evaluating skeletal metabolic status and fracture risk in osteoporosis, and the rate of change in bone mineral density (BMD) is used as a diagnostic tool for the assessment of treatment efficacy and fracture risk. The purpose of this study is to establish a normative reference database of Digital X-ray Radiogrammetry BMD (DXR-BMD) for Korean women to be used on the population of normal adult Korean women.
Materials and Methods: The women consulted a study physician and were given informed consent prior to any study-related procedures. Demographic data (age, weight, height), medical history including menopausal status and prior fractures were obtained. Only women who met all inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria and for whom a x-ray of sufficient quality was obtained were included in the statistical analysis. A radiograph was taken of each woman's non-dominant hand and forearm. The radiographs were scanned using the Linotype-Hell scanner application version 2.0 for X-posure and DXR-BMD was calculated using batch-computer. The statistical methodology used to establish normative reference values for T-score and Z-score calculations was based on regression analyses. The regression model of DXR-BMD on age, age2 or age3 (second or third order polynomial) will be chosen for this data material. Feasible generalized least squares were used taking account for heteroscedasticity. The parameters of reference polynomial were tabulated, and expected DXR-BMD was plotted against age.
Results
The normative reference curve was generated based on a polynomial of third degree, which was found to be the best model to illustrate the relationship between DXR-BMD and age. The peak expected DXR-BMD and the corresponding standard deviation were found to be 0.5802 g/cm2 and 0.0335 g/cm2, respectively, occurring at age 37.
Conclusion
The present study established a normative reference database of DXR-BMD for Kore
