The Department of Nuclear Medicine, McMaster Division operates a bone densitometry clinical service to meet the needs of the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation . The department operates 3 densitometers all of which are capable of regional bone mineral measurements and assessments of total body compositions.
Research is focused in two principle areas.
The first involves methodological issues such as methods for the measurement of bone structure . Software has been developed to assess the integrity of the imaged structure by measuring the extent of network interconnectivity and the dimensions of the marrow spaces. The validity of the images and the proper expression of structural integrity is to be determined using scanning electron microscopy and mechanical testing of complete isolated bones. The second area of research is the investigation of the natural history of osteoporosis and the impact of treatment upon bone mass and bone structure . In one study, we are exploring the dependence of the rate of loss of bone in postmenopausal women upon such predictive factors as calcium intake and absorption, physical activity, strength and fitness, as well as residual estrogen levels and body fat mass.