[Quantitative evaluation of the relation between bone mass of the metacarpal bone and bone mineral content of the forearm in normal persons and patients with chronic renal failure before and after kidney transplantation].

Twenty-seven healthy normal subjects, 30 non-dialyzed patients with chronic renal failure, 25 hemodialyzed patients on chronic hemodialysis, and 54 renal transplant recipients were evaluated simultaneously with regard to a correlation between the bone mineral content of the forearm and the total cortical thickness and area of the second left metacarpal bone. A significant correlation was found between bone mineral content of the forearm and the cortical bone mass of the metacarpal bone in normal subjects and in the patient groups.