Bone Measurement in Osteoporosis
Authors: RICHARD B. MAZESS
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1986)

Letters and Corrections1 October 1986Bone Measurement in OsteoporosisRICHARD B. MAZESS, Ph.D.RICHARD B. MAZESS, Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-105-4-628 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: Cummings and Black (1) justifiably criticize mass screening for osteoporosis using bone densitometry. We have pointed out (2) that noninvasive methods, single-photon absorptiometry in particular, were being misused in this way. Screening without indications is unjustified in premenopausal women, but the situation is improved when measurements are based on conventional risk factors (3). In a referral population (selected for risk factors) of 496 women below age 50, fully 35% of women had low ( > 2 SD) measurements in the spine and 9% had low measurements in the radius (4); this was about 10 times the expected...References1. CUMMINGSBLACK SD. Should perimenopausal women be screened for osteoporosis? Ann Intern Med. 1986;104:817-23. LinkGoogle Scholar2. MAZESS R. Densitometry of the peripheral skeleton to detect osteopenia [Letter]. JAMA. 1986;255:2162-3. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. PECKBARRETT-CONNORBUCKWALTER WEJ. Osteoporosis: NIH Consensus Development Conference statement. JAMA. 1984;252:799-802. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. ETTINGERMAZESSBARDEN MRH. Insensitivity of peripheral measurement to spinal osteopenia [Abstract]. J Bone Miner Res. 1986;1:273. Google Scholar5. MELTONWAHNERRICHELSONO'FALLONDUNNRIGGS LHLWWB. Bone-density-specific fracture risk: a population based study of the relationship between osteoporosis and vertebral fractures [Abstract]. J Nucl Med. 1985;26:P24. Google Scholar6. BARDENMAZESSETTINGER HRM. Bone mineral density in femoral fractures [Abstract]. J Bone Miner Res. 1986;1:284. Google Scholar7. OTT S. Should women get screening bone mass measurements [Editorial]? Ann Intern Med. 1986;104:874-6. LinkGoogle Scholar1. MELTONWAHNERRICHELSONO'FALLONDUNNRIGGS LHLWWB. Bone-density-specific fracture risk: a population based study of the relationship between osteoporosis and vertebral fractures [Abstract]. J Nucl Med. 1985;26:P24. Google Scholar2. MELTONWAHNERRICHELSONO'FALLONRIGGS LHLWB. Osteoporosis and the risk of hip fracture. Am J Epidemiol. 1986. (In press). CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. BARDENMAZESSETTINGER HRM. Bone mineral density in femoral fractures [Abstract]. J Bone Miner Res. 1986;1:284. Google Scholar4. RIGGSWAHNERSEEMAN BHE. Changes in bone mineral density of the proximal femur and spine with aging: differences between postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis syndromes. J Clin Invest. 1982;70:716-23. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. BOHRSCHAADT HO. Bone mineral content of femoral bone and the lumbar spine measured in women with fracture of the femoral neck by dual photon absorptiometry. Clin Orthop. 1983;179:240-5. CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByTreatment indications and thresholds of intervention: consensus and controversies in osteoporosis 1 October 1986Volume 105, Issue 4Page: 628-629KeywordsBoneDensitometryMedical risk factorsOsteoporosisPhoton absorptiometrySpine Issue Published: 1 October 1986 PDF DownloadLoading ...