Assessing mineral density in small trephined jawbone biopsy specimens

This study reports the test of the hypothesis that mineral density can be precisely assessed in small trephined jawbone biopsy specimens. Mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Ten fresh and ten histologically processed specimens, which were not the same, were measured. The coefficient of variations (CVs) for the alcohol stored and the histologic specimens by DEXA were respectively 1.60 and 1.71%. The CVs by pQCT for the total bone density in the alcohol stored and the histologic specimens were respectively 0.07 and 0.16%, for the trabecular bone density 0.69 and 1.04% and for the cortical bone density 0.07 and 0.12%. It was concluded that DEXA and pQCT are precise for mineral density assessment of small trephined jawbone biopsy specimens both alcohol stored and histologically processed.