Appearance of trabecular bone in the femoral neck (Singh index). Relation to vertebral bone mass post mortem

In 89 consecutive cases trabecular bone mass of the second or third lumbar vertabra was subjectively estimated in post mortem specimens, using frontal section 1 cm in thickness. The trabecular appearance of the femoral neck (Singh index) at radiography and the thickness of the femoral cortical bone were also determined. Agreement between vertebral bone mass and either of the two radiologic indices was present in only two thirds of the cases, and most often these indices underestimated the presence of vertebral osteoporosis. The results indicate that neither of these radiologic indices can be used for clinical guidance of the diagnosis of vertebral osteoporosis in the individual case.