Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Discrepancies between vertebral bone density values: the least dense vertebra.

A Mylonakis1, D Hadjidakis, P Katsavochristos

  • 12nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, Athens University, Attikon and Evgenidion University Hospitals, Athens, Greece. amilonak@yahoo.gr

Maturitas
|October 6, 2005
PubMed
Summary

In postmenopausal women, individual vertebrae can show significantly lower bone density. Evaluating the least dense vertebra (LDV) may offer a better estimate of bone mass than the average of L1-L4 vertebrae.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pneumatosis intestinalis - an illusive disease.

South African journal of surgery. Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir chirurgie·2024
Same author

No association of psoriasis with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV·2016
Same author

Increased prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in premenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

European journal of endocrinology·2015
Same author

Homocysteine, cortisol, diabetes mellitus, and psychopathology.

Journal of diabetes research·2015
Same author

The role of acetic acid on glucose uptake and blood flow rates in the skeletal muscle in humans with impaired glucose tolerance.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2015
Same author

Oxytocin and psychological factors affecting type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Experimental diabetes research·2012

Area of Science:

  • Osteoporosis research
  • Bone mineral density assessment
  • Geriatric medicine

Background:

  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is reliable for vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) and local fracture risk.
  • Individual vertebrae may present BMD values significantly lower than others, warranting clinical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clinically evaluate individual vertebrae with significantly lower BMD values compared to others.
  • To assess the significance of the least dense vertebra (LDV) in estimating bone mass in postmenopausal women.

Main Methods:

  • DXA measurements of L1-L4 vertebrae and femoral neck (FN) in 817 postmenopausal women (<65 years, BMI <33 kg/m²).
  • Exclusion of women with X-ray proven vertebral degenerative lesions or deformities.
  • Classification into Group A (LDV BMD <92.4% of immediate denser vertebra) and Group B.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • L1 was the most frequent LDV (47%), L3 the least frequent (2%).
  • No significant differences in absolute/age-adjusted BMD (L1-L4, FN) or osteoporotic proportions between groups.
  • LDV did not predict FN BMD in Group A, but was the sole predictor in Group B (adjusted R²=37.7%).

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of younger postmenopausal women exhibit wide variance in individual vertebral BMD without radiographic abnormalities.
  • The LDV can serve as an alternative to mean L1-L4 BMD for estimating vertebral bone mass in specific cases.