[Distribution pattern of density in lumbar vertebra studied with computed tomography: a study of histogram plot]

The bone mineral status of the cancellous bone in the lumbar vertebrae was evaluated by analysing density histograms and measuring the mean density by computed tomography. The results obtained were as follows: (a) the distribution pattern of bone density in lumbar vertebrae revealed a normal distribution. (b) high correlation coefficients between peak density (r = -0.79) or mean density (r = -0.77) and age was obtained in males, whereas peak densities in females were maintained well at ages younger than 50 years and peak densities abruptly decreased after 50 years of age. Osteoporotic vertebrae, in which multiple osteosclerotic changes were observed, had several peak densities and did not show normal density distribution pattern. These results indicated that our methods combining analysis of density histograms and measurement of mean density are useful to evaluate the bone mineral status.