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Updated: Oct 18, 2025
07:56
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
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Bone Health
Ivy Akid1, Danielle J Doberman2
1Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Medicine, JHUSOM, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street Blalock 371, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine
|October 3, 2021
Summary
Osteoporosis is diagnosed using bone mineral density scans. Female gender, aging, and frailty increase fracture risk, with bisphosphonates being a primary treatment.
Area of Science:
- Bone health and metabolic bone diseases.
Background:
- Osteoporosis diagnosis relies on bone mineral density (BMD) measurement.
- Low BMD, particularly below -2.5 standard deviations from a reference population, indicates osteoporosis.
- Risk factors include female gender, aging, and frailty, increasing fracture likelihood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis.
- To identify key risk factors for developing osteoporosis and fractures.
- To state the first-line treatment for osteoporosis.
Main Methods:
- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan for BMD measurement.
- Comparison of individual BMD to a standard adult female reference population.
- Identification of risk factors such as age, gender, and frailty.
Main Results:
- Osteoporosis is defined by BMD values <= 2.5 standard deviations below the mean.
- Risk of osteoporosis and fractures increases with age.
- Female gender and frailty are significant risk factors.
Conclusions:
- DXA is the gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis.
- Bisphosphonates are recommended as the initial therapy for osteoporosis.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial for fracture prevention strategies.
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