Bone density in postmenopausal women with scoliosis is associated with markers of degenerative joint disease.

Purpose: Bone mineral density (BMD) measured with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the clinical standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and prediction of bone fracture risk. In the aging skeleton, osteoporosis is often concomitantly present with degenerative joint disease (DJD).

Methods: In this study, we evaluated tissue-level changes in the differentially loaded concave (CC) and convex (CV) sides of the lumbar spine in a sample of postmenopausal women with scoliosis.