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Dual energy radiography (DER): A preliminary comparative study

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Summary

Dual energy radiography (DER) has been recently proposed as a new technique for the non invasive measurement of vertebral mineral density. This preliminary study was undertaken to assess the short-term precision of DER and to compare DER to dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) measurements. Three DER measurements were obtained in 19 healthy volunteers (mean age 34.7 ±9.3 years) over a 3 week period. In addition, both DER and DPA measurements were obtained in 52 women (mean age 54.3±12.5 years). The coefficient of variation for the DER measurements was 1.00%. A highly significant correlation (r=0.94; p<0.0001) was found between DPA and DER. Using this curve a conversion factor of −6.8% was calculated to convert DER to DPA values. Both DER and DPA were significantly and similarly correlated with age (r=−0.43, p<0.005; r=−0.38, p<0.05, respectively). The rates of bone loss, 0.66% per year for DER and 0.57% per year for DPA, were also similar with the two techniques. From these data, it is concluded that DER is a precise new method for vertebral bone mass measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Washington University Medical Center, 216 South Kingshighway Blvd., 63110, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    R. Pacifici M.D., I. Vered & L. V. Avioli

  2. Nuclear Medicine, The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Washington University Medical Center, 216 South Kingshighway Blvd., 63110, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    K. C. Fischer

  3. Radiology Department, The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Washington University Medical Center, 216 South Kingshighway Blvd., 63110, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    R. Rupich, M. Griffin & N. Susman

Authors
  1. R. Pacifici M.D.
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  2. R. Rupich
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  3. I. Vered
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  4. K. C. Fischer
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  5. M. Griffin
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  6. N. Susman
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  7. L. V. Avioli
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Pacifici, R., Rupich, R., Vered, I. et al. Dual energy radiography (DER): A preliminary comparative study. Calcif Tissue Int 43, 189–191 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02571319

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02571319

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