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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Time course of bone loss in patients with anorexia nervosa
José M Olmos1, Carmen Valero, Andrés Gómez del Barrio
1Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, RETICEF, Santander, Spain. miromj@humv.es
Objective:
To evaluate the time course of bone mineral density (BMD) in women with anorexia nervosa (AN) during 2-year follow-up.
Method:
We prospectively studied 51 female with AN aged 18-38 years, and 40 age-matched healthy women (19-34 years). BMD was measured in lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) by DXA.
Results:
At baseline, weight, body mass index, and lumbar and hip BMD were significantly (p < .001) lower in AN patients than in controls. Patients who gain weight showed a significant increase in BMD at FN (+1.6%; p < .05), and TH (+4.4%; p < .05) and lower nonsignificant changes in LS (+1.3%). Weight at entry, and percent change of weight were significant determinants (p < .05) of the variability in percent change of BMD at FN and TH, whereas weight at entry was the main determinant of bone modifications at lumbar spine.
Discussion:
Our data emphasize the influence of weight gain in recovery of bone mass in AN patients, especially at the hip.
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