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[Comparative roentgenometry of the hand in aging]
A Dihlmann1, W Dihlmann, E Bücheler
1Abt. Röntgendiagnostik, Universitätskrankenhauses Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Aktuelle Radiologie
|September 1, 1996
Summary
Aging increases the risk of hand osteoarthrosis in adults aged 21-60. Bone mass is a key characteristic of aging, and joint remodeling is not universal but selective.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
Background:
- Increasing age is a significant risk factor for hand osteoarthrosis in adults aged 21-60.
- Hand osteoarthrosis is considered part of age-related degeneration only in individuals aged 80 and above.
- Existing literature presents various parameters and indices for correlating mineral and ash content in metacarpal bones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between aging and hand osteoarthrosis.
- To examine bone mass as a biological characteristic of aging.
- To determine the prevalence and nature of joint remodeling in the aging hand.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of hand roentgenograms.
- Correlation of bone mass with age-related changes.
- Examination of metacarpal bone mineral and ash content.
Main Results:
- Bone mass is confirmed as a biological characteristic of old age.
- Joint socket remodeling is an elective, not a general, phenomenon with aging.
- Specific age-related changes include an increasing radial joint surface angle in males (right hand) and variations in the medial sesamoid bone of the first metacarpus (males, left hand).
Conclusions:
- Bone mass is a key indicator of biological aging.
- Joint remodeling in the hand is selective and not a universal consequence of aging.
- Specific radiographic changes in the wrist and first metacarpus are associated with aging in males.