Clinical value of bone densitometry.

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the long-standing controversy over the clinical value of noninvasive measurement of bone mass. Results of recent studies have increasingly supported the judicious use of bone densitometry as a clinical tool [1]. These reports contradict editorials on the limitations of bone densitometry that have appeared in a variety of subspecialty publications [2,3]. The importance of bone mass measurement is underscored by the lack of success in predicting bone density from various combinations of anthropometric and historical variables. Growing evidence suggests that densitometry is a useful tool for determining which women near menopause are at risk for osteoporosis and, therefore, are candidates for estrogen-replacement therapy. This article summarizes current concepts on the subject and attempts to prove that bone densitometry is a beneficial and indicated procedure for selected patients.