The relationship between bone mineral density and biomechanics in patients with osteoporosis and scoliosis.

Nearly one-third of all women and one-sixth of all men over age 65 have osteoporosis, and this condition is often accompanied by lumbar scoliosis. Previous work has shown that, in a group of postmenopausal women with scoliosis and osteoporosis, both the bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were greater on the concave side than the convex side. The goal of this study was to examine the structure-function relationships in the spines of patients with low bone mass and scoliosis using a patient-specific biomechanical model.

Assessment of bone quantity and distribution in adult lumbar scoliosis: new dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry methodology and analysis.

Study Design: In this study, we elucidated the bone quantity and distribution in lumbar spines of a group of 176 postmenopausal women (average age 72 years) with scoliosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is associated with a low bone mineral density, but the bone mineral density in adult lumbar scoliosis has not been well-characterized.

Methods: Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry analysis of the femoral neck and lumbar spines of 176 postmenopausal women were used to assess the bone mineral density and bone mineral content at both anatomic sites.