Bone mineral content measurement in small infants by single-photon absorptiometry: current methodologic issues

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · J. Pediatr.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(88)80609-7· OSTI ID:7187330

Steichen, J J; Asch, P A; Tsang, R C

Single-photon absorptiometry (SPA), developed in 1963 and adapted for infants by Steichen et al. in 1976, is an important tool to quantitate bone mineralization in infants. Studies of infants in which SPA was used include studies of fetal bone mineralization and postnatal bone mineralization in very low birth weight infants. The SPA technique has also been used as a research tool to investigate longitudinal bone mineralization and to study the effect of nutrition and disease processes such as rickets or osteopenia of prematurity. At present, it has little direct clinical application for diagnosing bone disease in single patients. The bones most often used to measure bone mineral content (BMC) are the radius, the ulna, and, less often, the humerus. The radius appears to be preferred as a suitable bone to measure BMC in infants. It is easily accessible; anatomic reference points are easily palpated and have a constant relationship to the radial mid-shaft site; soft tissue does not affect either palpation of anatomic reference points or BMC quantitation in vivo. The peripheral location of the radius minimizes body radiation exposure. Trabecular and cortical bone can be measured separately. Extensive background studies exist on radial BMC in small infants. Most important, the radius has a relatively long zone of constant BMC. Finally, SPA for BMC in the radius has a high degree of precision and accuracy. 61 references.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7187330
• Journal Information: J. Pediatr.; (United States), Vol. 113
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
MINERALS
MEASURING METHODS
SINGLE PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
ACCURACY
SKELETAL DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
SKELETON
DENSITY
INFANTS
MINERALIZATION
REVIEWS
AGE GROUPS
BODY
CHILDREN
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
ORGANS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TOMOGRAPHY
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