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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Long-term cereal-based nutritional supplementation improved the total spine bone mineral density amongst Sri Lankan
Manjula Hettiarachchi1, Sarath Lekamwasam, Chandrani Liyanage
1Nuclear Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka. manjula.hettiarachchi@gmail.com
Background:
The Thriposha programme in Sri Lanka provides a combination of energy, protein and micronutrients as a 'ready-to-eat' cereal-based food.
Objective:
To assess the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D3 in the Thriposha on bone mineralization among preschool children aged 3-5 years.
Design:
Subjects (n = 30) were fed with conventional Thriposha while the control group (n = 30) children were fed without mineral and vitamin premix (Corn-Soya-Blend - CSB) for a period of nine months. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of total spine was measured at the baseline and after the intervention.
Results:
The mean baseline total spine BMD was 0.464 (0.050) g/cm2 in the interventional group and 0.453 (0.035) g/cm2 in the control group (p = 0.09). At the end of the study, the BMD levels were 0.487 (0.047) and 0.454 (0.031) g/cm2 (p < 0.001) respectively.
Conclusion:
Daily supplementation of cereal based food supplement over a period of nine months improved the total spine BMD.
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