Diagnostic approach to osteoporosis and spondyloarthrosis in post-menopausal women by total body dual-photon absorptiometry.

Dual-photon absorptiometry of total body (153 Gd with photopeaks at 44 and 100 keV) enables bone mineral content of the entire skeleton and its major anatomical areas to be quantitated. Total body bone mineral (TBBM), total body density (TBD), bone mineral content and bone density of spine and lumbar-spine were measured in 97 women with post-menopausal osteoporosis, 33 females with spondyloarthrosis and in 19 females with spondyloarthrosis associated with osteoporosis. Seventy-nine females of similar age made up the normal control group. TBBM and TBD proved to be significantly lower in post-menopausal osteoporotic women compared to age-matched normal females: bone loss was particularly evident in spine measurements. In spondyloarthrosis patients TBBM and TBD fell within the normal range and both spine bone density and spine bone mineral did not differ from normals. TBD, TBBM, spine density and spine mineral in females with disuse osteoporosis associated with spondyloarthrosis were significantly lower in comparison with normals and higher with respect to post-menopausal osteoporotic women. Total body absorptiometry represents a valuable method in the differential diagnosis of post-menopausal osteoporosis, spondyloarthrosis and the disuse osteoporosis associated with spondyloarthrosis.