Determination of bone mineral content in cadaveric test specimens

This study was designed to determine the best method for presenting the bone mineral content of cadaveric test specimens. A total of 59 bone samples were taken from the humeri, radii, and ulnae of 14 female cadavers. For each sample, the bone mineral content was determined with a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanner, and the ash-weight ratio was calculated manually. A linear regression analysis was performed to compare the ash-weight ratio to the 3 methods for reporting bone mineral content as measured by a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanner: by bone mineral content divided by sample length (in g/cm), by projected area (in g/cm2), or by sample volume (in g/cm3). The analysis revealed that the ash-weight ratio correlates best with the volumetric representation. Based on these data, a volumetric representation is suggested as the best representation of bone mineralization, due to its correlation with ash-weight ratio.